LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to travel to Beijing next week to revive the UK–China CEO Council, a high-level business forum that has been frozen for years as relations cooled. The Starmer China visit comes after ministers approved a long-contested plan for China’s new “mega-embassy” in the capital, a decision officials see as clearing a key diplomatic hurdle, Jan. 21, 2026.
Neither London nor Beijing has formally announced the trip, but officials and business figures briefed on the plans say the Starmer China visit is being designed to pair political meetings with a reset of business-to-business engagement. A Reuters report on the planned CEO Council reboot said senior executives from major British and Chinese companies have been invited, with details such as the forum’s final branding and attendance still being finalized.
The council’s relaunch is intended to provide a structured channel for companies to raise investment and market-access concerns while governments try to stabilize a relationship strained by security worries and human rights disputes. Supporters argue the UK needs predictable lines of communication with the world’s second-largest economy; critics say business diplomacy risks blurring red lines at a time of heightened espionage concerns.
Starmer China visit and the UK–China CEO Council reset
People familiar with the talks say the refreshed council is expected to bring together leaders from sectors where the UK still sees opportunity in China — including finance, pharmaceuticals, autos and energy — while acknowledging that political friction is unlikely to disappear. The Starmer China visit is also expected to test whether London can pursue trade priorities while maintaining tighter scrutiny of technology, critical infrastructure and foreign interference risks.
For British firms, the appeal of the Starmer China visit is straightforward: China remains a large consumer and industrial market, even as regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical tension push companies to reassess exposure. For Beijing, the optics matter too — a returning UK prime minister, plus a revived CEO channel, signals that Britain is open to dialogue after years of chill.
Embassy approval adds momentum — and controversy
Ministers this week approved China’s plan to build its largest embassy in Europe at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, despite objections from lawmakers, campaigners and some local residents. Reuters’ account of the planning decision described the project as a flashpoint for fears about surveillance and proximity to sensitive communications infrastructure.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis told Parliament: “China has, and will continue to pose threats to our national security.” Intelligence chiefs also warned it was unrealistic to “eliminate every potential risk,” while saying mitigations could be put in place. An Associated Press report noted the plan has drawn protests since China bought the site in 2018 and that opponents have signaled they may pursue legal action.
The timing has fueled claims that the embassy decision was linked to the Starmer China visit. Government officials insist the planning process was handled on its merits, but the sequencing has nonetheless become part of the political fight around what a “reset” with China should look like.
The episode also reopens a long-running debate about the UK’s China policy swings. During the lead-up to President Xi Jinping’s 2015 UK trip, then-Prime Minister David Cameron promoted a “golden era” while trying to head off U.S. unease, The Guardian reported at the time. In 2018, Theresa May began her own China trip with a large business delegation while warning the two countries would not always agree on sensitive issues, according to a Reuters dispatch.
Now, the Starmer China visit is being framed as a pragmatic reboot: rebuild predictable commercial channels, keep security guardrails, and manage disputes without letting them freeze the relationship entirely.
