- UK and China are preparing to relaunch a senior business dialogue first set up in 2018.
- Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing next week with a corporate delegation.
- The move comes as relations with the US face fresh diplomatic tension.
Britain and China are preparing to revive a flagship business forum that had been frozen for years, signalling a cautious attempt to reset economic ties. The relaunch of the UK-China CEO Council is expected to coincide with a planned visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Beijing next week, according to a news report.
The council, first launched in 2018 during what both sides then described as a “golden era” in relations, is expected to bring together senior executives from major British and Chinese companies. British firms reportedly set to take part include AstraZeneca, BP, HSBC, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Schroders and Standard Chartered, as reported by Reuters.
On the Chinese side, companies expected to be represented include Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China Mobile, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, CRRC, China National Pharmaceutical Group and BYD, the report said.
From freeze to thaw
The council was originally conceived by former UK prime minister Theresa May and China’s then premier Li Keqiang. Relations later cooled after Britain barred Huawei from its 5G networks and moved to curb Chinese involvement in sensitive infrastructure, including nuclear projects.
Starmer’s trip would be the first by a UK prime minister since 2018. He has previously argued, in a speech last year, that relations with Beijing were allowed to deteriorate under earlier Conservative governments, while France and Germany maintained regular high-level engagement, as quoted in a news report.
Talks to revive the council had been under way for months but reportedly gathered pace after Britain approved plans for China to build what would be its largest embassy in Europe in London. The decision followed assurances from security officials that potential risks could be managed.
Allies watching closely
The renewed outreach to China comes as Britain faces fresh tension with the United States. US president Donald Trump criticised a UK-Mauritius agreement over the Chagos Islands, home to a strategic UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, reportedly calling it “an act of great stupidity” and warning that China and Russia would take note.
Domestically, the embassy project has also drawn opposition. Local residents near the proposed London site are expected to seek a judicial review, arguing that the planning decision was flawed, according to reports. China’s foreign ministry has said the embassy plans comply with international diplomatic rules and local laws.
Senior figures on both sides have continued quiet engagement. Britain’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell visited Beijing in November, while chancellor Rachel Reeves, energy secretary Ed Miliband and trade secretary Peter Kyle have all travelled to China over the past year for talks and business discussions.
For now, the revived CEO council appears to mark a tentative step towards rebuilding economic links, even as wider political and security questions remain unresolved.
