UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China, a trip by a UK prime minister in eight years, signaled a pragmatic recalibration of the UK's China policy, injecting new momentum into the steady development of bilateral ties. At a time of profound shifts in the international landscape and rising global uncertainty, the renewed handshake between Beijing and London carries significance beyond the bilateral level, offering an important reference point for understanding how globalization is being reshaped within an increasingly multipolar international order.
According to publicly released outcomes, the leaders of China and the UK agreed to develop a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership, turning the vast potential of China-UK cooperation into real progress and opening up new prospects for China-UK relations and cooperation.
From a practical perspective, deeper China-UK cooperation offers the UK expanded external economic and trade opportunities, easing its structural pressures in the post-Brexit era. For China, enhanced engagement with the UK attracts more global resources in fields such as financial services and high-end manufacturing, thereby advancing high-quality development. More importantly, the improvement of China-UK relations resonates with the looking Eastward trend of Western leaders' recent visits to China, reflecting the pragmatic efforts of European countries to seek diplomatic balance and greater policy autonomy amid increasing global complexity.
Pragmatism stood out as the defining feature of Starmer's visit. The agenda focused squarely on concrete cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, culture, tourism and healthcare, while the accompanying delegation included representatives from business, industry and culture, underscoring an outcomes-oriented approach to dialogue and negotiation.
During the visit, China and the UK signed 12 intergovernmental cooperation agreements covering trade, agricultural and food products, culture and market regulation. These agreements signal a shift in bilateral cooperation from expressions of intent toward greater institutionalization and project-based implementation, laying a solid foundation for a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership.
At the same time, Starmer expressed a pragmatic approach in more tangible ways throughout his itinerary. During the visit, Starmer and members of his delegation engaged with everyday life in China, experienced local cuisine and cultural practices, and interacted directly with the local communities. These down-to-earth activities helped bridge the gap between the UK leader and the local communities, softening the formal and rigid political overtones often present in diplomatic exchanges.
This dual approach - pursuing strategic cooperation while fostering mutual understanding through people-to-people interactions - reflects a meaningful attempt by major powers to move beyond singular and politically framed narratives. Instead, it highlights a shift toward a development-oriented narrative grounded in multi-dimensional connectivity encompassing trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, with the aim of reinforcing both practical cooperation and political trust.
In terms of timing, Starmer's visit to China was shaped by multiple practical considerations. First, the UK continues to face economic growth pressures and urgently seeks new drivers through expanded international cooperation. Second, growing policy uncertainty in the US has heightened a sense of strategic unease among European countries. The Trump administration's frequent use of tariffs, its repeated criticism of NATO allies for insufficient defense spending and its continued attempt to take over Greenland have all compelled the UK to reassess the special relationship with the US and place greater emphasis on a more diversified diplomatic strategy. Third, against the backdrop of accelerated global changes unseen in a century, China's continued high-standard opening-up, capability to maintain domestic development and commitment to economic globalization with initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative, have made it an increasingly important partner for countries seeking cooperation.
From the perspective of global governance, China and the UK, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major global economies, share significant responsibilities in safeguarding international peace and stability and advancing global sustainable development. Amid rising unilateralism, neo-expansionism and the growing pressure on the international order, China and the UK can also strengthen coordination on issues such as climate change, public security and the mediation of regional conflicts, upholding multilateralism through dialogue and cooperation while contributing to greater international stability.
Looking ahead, the development of a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UK will require sustained efforts grounded in mutual respect and willingness to move beyond differences. Despite differences in political systems, development paths and cultural traditions, pragmatic cooperation and shared development provide both sides with the foundation and capacity to establish a model of harmony in diversity and win-win cooperation. Such a model could offer a meaningful reference for major-power relations seeking to move beyond zero-sum thinking and toward more rational and constructive cooperation.
Wang Runjue is a professor at the UK Media Research Center of the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies at the Communication University of China. Wang Jipeng is a researcher at the same center. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
