Starmer Heads to China Defying Trump's Tariff Threat

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Jan. 27 departure for China marks the first visit by a British leader in eight years and signals a deliberate attempt to rebalance Britain’s external economic strategy amid sharpening tensions with the United States. The three-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai, followed by a brief stop in Japan, brings dozens of business executives and two ministers into a high-stakes diplomatic corridor.

The analytical core of the visit is not ceremonial access but leverage: how far London can improve trade and investment ties with the world’s second-largest economy while managing friction with its closest ally. As Kerry Brown of King’s College London put it, “One of the great anomalies of the current situation is that London is probably closer to Beijing than Washington” on select global issues such as artificial intelligence, public health, and the environment.

One of the great anomalies of the current situation is that London is probably closer to Beijing than Washington.

Former Secretary of the U.K. Embassy in Beijing Kerry Brown

Starmer’s outreach follows his 2024 election pledge to lift living standards through investment in public services and the broader economy. In the 12 months to mid-2025, China ranked as Britain’s fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade of about 100 billion pounds ($137 billion).

Yet the balance sheet remains uneven. China accounts for just 0.2% of foreign direct investment in Britain, while the United States provides about a third.

Britain’s market share for goods and services with China also fell in the last year, according to policy analysts cited by Reuters. Those figures frame the economic imperative behind the visit, even as critics in Britain and the United States warn against overreliance on Beijing.

The UK government also approved China’s contested plans for a mega-embassy in central London, rejecting objections from lawmakers who warned the site could facilitate espionage.

“We Will Not Yield”

Security and values sit alongside commerce. Starmer has said China poses national security threats, even as he argues closer business ties serve the national interest.

That duality was sharpened by developments earlier this month. On Jan. 21, he stated: “I will not yield, Britain will not yield, on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs,” referring to U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to use tariffs as leverage against European leaders on the issue of Greenland.

Two days later, responding to President Donald Trump’s alleged demeaning remarks about NATO allied forces staying “a little off the frontlines” in the war in Afghanistan, Starmer said, “I consider Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling. If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize.”

The China trip follows Canada’s recent engagement with Beijing, which yielded tariff reductions on Chinese electric vehicles and Canadian canola oil. Trump responded by threatening a 100% tariff on Canadian imports should Ottawa deepen its China ties, addressing Prime Minister Carney as “Governor” - a remark widely seen as dismissive of Canadian sovereignty.

Since then Canada has said it had “no intention” to pursue a free trade deal with China, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasizing Ottawa remains committed to its obligations under the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and would not move forward with any trade agreements without consultation, according to a report by Andolu Agency.

Trump’s threats highlight the bind confronting U.S. allies: deeper engagement with China now carries the risk of punitive American trade measures. Whether the United Kingdom will face similar pressure remains an open question.

Trade, Security, and Embassy Politics

Beijing has used the moment to present itself as a reliable partner advocating a “multipolar world,” according to China’s state-backed Global Times. Western leaders’ recent visits show mixed returns. While Canada secured concrete tariff relief, French President Emmanuel Macron’s December trip yielded limited economic gains.

For Britain, the calculus blends near-term growth with alliance management. Sam Goodman of the China Strategic Risks Institute noted that, despite concentrated engagement, tangible outcomes have been scarce and questioned what this visit will deliver for “meaningful growth in the British economy.”

The diplomatic choreography is therefore precise: three days on the ground, meetings in two Chinese cities, and a Japan stop designed to reassure Indo-Pacific partners. The backdrop includes Trump’s claims that the United States must control Greenland due to China’s Arctic posture, and Washington’s readiness to use tariffs as leverage.

For London, the task is to convert access into investment without triggering retaliation - an exercise in escalation control conducted across at least four capitals in less than a week.