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UK-China relations under the Labour Government 2024-2026

Since taking office in 2024, the Labour government has sought to improve UK–China relations, with a particular emphasis on deepening economic ties, while still acknowledging the significant security challenges that China poses.

Relations between the UK and China had deteriorated between 2017 and 2024 due in part to UK concerns about human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and assessments by UK security and intelligence agencies that China was increasing espionage and cyber activity.

Labour’s China policy has emphasised “pragmatic engagement”, saying in their 2024 election manifesto (PDF) that it would “co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must”. The manifesto also committed the government to holding a “China audit” to “improve the UK’s capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses”.

Diplomatic engagement and ministerial visits

Since 2024 several senior ministers have made visits to China, culminating in a three-day visit by Keir Starmer in January 2026, the first by a UK Prime Minister since 2018.

Mr Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior leaders for discussions he described as “positive and constructive”, covering national security, trade, climate, regional stability and human rights.

He raised concerns about Xinjiang, Tibet and the case of Jimmy Lai (a British national and media tycoon imprisoned in Hong Kong), and urged China to end economic support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. The visit produced agreements on trade and border security cooperation China also lifted sanctions on six Conservative MPs it imposed in 2021.

Ahead of Keir Starmer’s January 2026 trip the government announced it had agreed to grant planning permission for China’s proposed new embassy on the site of the old Royal Mint in London. China had bought the site in 2018 and applied for planning permission in 2021. The lack of progress had been a significant irritant in UK–China relations, with China unhappy with the delay. Opposition parties have opposed the planned embassy.

The government’s argument for closer ties

In a December 2025 speech on foreign policy, and a House of Commons statement following his January 2026 visit, the then Prime Minister set out why he believed the UK should pursue closer ties with China.

Mr Starmer argued that improving UK–China ties was necessary because China is a major global economic and political actor whose actions affect UK interests. He said the UK had “blown hot and cold” for years and had become an “outlier” compared with the UK’s allies like Germany and France, which have maintained regular engagement. He emphasised that protecting national security was “non‑negotiable”, but that engagement enabled the UK to raise concerns directly, including on human rights, malicious cyber activity and China’s support for Russia. As Prime Minister he also said cooperation with China was essential on issues such as climate change, global health and economic stability.

Government reviews and the China audit

The June 2025 Strategic Defence Review described China as a “sophisticated and persistent challenge”, highlighting its military modernisation and cyber capabilities. The National Security Strategy published in the same month warned of increased espionage and interference but also emphasised the importance of economic engagement.

The China audit was not published, but the then Foreign Secretary, David Lammy set out its high-level findings to the House of Commons.

The audit said the UK must “improve the UK’s capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses”, he said and found that government expertise on China was uneven and recommended expanding specialist knowledge across government departments.

On security Mr Lammy said: “The audit described a full spectrum of threats, from espionage and cyber-attacks to the repression of Hongkongers and attacks on the rules-based order”. It “made clear that our protections must extend more widely than they currently do—from the security of this House to our critical national infrastructure”.

On economic ties he said the audit “made it clear that our approach will always be guided by the UK’s long-term economic growth priorities” and that “China will continue to play a vital role in supporting the UK’s secure growth”.

The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme

The National Security Act 2023 created a Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. While Russia and Iran were placed in its enhanced tier, which has the greatest restrictions of foreign influence activities, the government has not added China, though it said in October 2025 that this remains under consideration. The Official Opposition and Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights have called for China to be added to the enhanced tier.