"I am often asked to choose sides between countries, but I do not do that," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on 26/1 in an interview at 10 Downing Street. He was responding to a question about whether he was seeking to strengthen relations with China at the expense of ties with the United States, London's closest ally.

"When negotiating a trade agreement with the United States, many people told me I was forced to choose between the United States and Europe. I replied that I would not make that choice," he added.

Starmer's statement precedes his visit to China this week, marking the first time a UK prime minister has visited China in 8 years. This follows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to Beijing, after which US President Donald Trump threatened 100% tariffs on Canada.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at the White House, US on 27/2/2025. Photo: AFP

The visit to China fulfills the Labour Party's election commitment to rebuild bilateral relations with Beijing. These ties had deteriorated due to disagreements over Hong Kong, Covid-19, and alleged espionage activities.

Starmer's government has recently sought to de-escalate tensions. A notable move was last week's approval of a large-scale embassy construction project in London, facilitating the upcoming visit.

The UK prime minister believes he can meet Chinese President Xi Jinping without upsetting Trump or damaging relations with the United States. He rejected the notion of trading off interests to maintain ties with both countries.

He also clarified that he was not aiming to send a message like Prime Minister Carney, who urged smaller nations to unite to "survive in an era of great power competition."

"We have a very close relationship with the United States, and we will obviously maintain this cooperation, both economically and in terms of security and defense," Starmer said. "Conversely, it is not reasonable to turn our back and ignore China, the world's second-largest economy with many business opportunities."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right) in a press conference with US President Donald Trump in Aylesbury, on 18/9/2025. Photo: Reuters

After a "golden era" of UK-China relations under former Prime Minister David Cameron, ties between the two nations gradually worsened. In 2024, trade between the UK and China reached 93 billion USD, compared to 141 billion USD between the UK and the United States.

The UK prime minister emphasized that the visit's primary focus is economic relations. Starmer is accompanied by about 65 leaders from businesses, universities, and cultural organizations.

"They clearly understand the opportunities opening up. This does not mean compromising national security; quite the opposite," Starmer affirmed.

By Duc Trung (According to Reuters, AFP, AP)