The Prime Minister was on solid ground talking about football as Chinese President Xi Jinping, understood to be a Manchester United fan, said he is also interested in three other clubs
Keir Starmer needed nimble footwork to navigate his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
But the football-mad PM was on solid ground discussing his beloved Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United last weekend with the Chinese premier. His gift of a signed match ball from the game that dented his side’s title hopes was a nifty bit of diplomacy.
President Xi, who is said to be a Man Utd fan, is understood to have praised the Premier League and also expressed interest in Man City, Arsenal and Crystal Palace. He also flattered Mr Starmer – who is known to like a game of five-a-side – over his own footballing prowess.
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This throwaway exchange in their talks in Beijing is trivial but it is also telling. The UK-China alliance has been strained for years.
After David Cameron cosied up to Beijing and declared a “Golden Era” for the alliance, relations nosedived under his successors due to tensions over widespread Chinese espionage, human rights violations and national security. But Mr Starmer has calculated that the UK can no longer afford to leave China out in the cold.
As the world’s second largest economy, closer ties with Beijing could reap benefits for Britain on trade at a time when the Government desperately needs to get the economy firing and to ease cost of living pressures. Donald Trump’s erratic foreign policy – particularly his demands to take over Greenland – and his tariffs threats have upended global alliances.
The UK is not the only country seeking to mend fences with China amidst this chaos. A Government insider told me the talks were a world away from the PM’s first meeting with President Xi in 2024, which were fairly business-like.
Instead, the leaders spent nearly three hours together as talks overran, including a private meeting with just one top adviser present on each side. They then enjoyed lunch in the ornate golden room at the Great Hall of the People, which included a vast array of dishes such as steamed beef with yam, roasted cod, fried shrimp and sweet rice dumplings.
The red carpet was rolled out for the PM, with a ceremonial welcome and a lavish banquet. Mr Starmer walked away with a deal on visas and a number of agreements for deeper cooperation, which isn’t quite a big bang announcement – but is believed to be a signal of intent.
However, behind all the pomp and ceremony, a lot of difficult issues remain. China has been accused of widespread espionage in the UK, including in Westminster, and all No10 staff have been using burner phones on the trip to avoid snooping.
MI5 issued an alert last year after an attempt to recruit Parliamentarians last year through LinkedIn. Mr Starmer will be under pressure to use any leverage he has to lobby to free Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy campaigner and British national, who has been in prison since 2020.
There is also the persecution of the Uyghur Muslims, and sanctions imposed by Beijing on a number of British MPs who have criticised its Government. Mr Starmer’s approach carries risk but he has come to the view that it’s one he must take.
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