British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s warm welcome during his visit to China this week marks a thaw in frosty relations with Beijing.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in China this week with a large delegation of businessmen and cultural figures.
He received a warm welcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
But the visit received a frosty reception from the White House, with US President Donald Trump calling Starmer’s trip “dangerous”.
What prompted Trump’s remarks? And how important was the British Prime Minister’s visit?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Will Hutton – political economist
Andy Mok – Senior Researcher at the Center for China and Globalization
Steve Tsang – Director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London
Published on January 30, 2026
