Diplomatic bridges are being rebuilt in Beijing, where Wang Yi—senior CPC Politburo member and director of China’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission—convened with Jonathan Powell, national security adviser to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on January 29.
A centerpiece of the meeting was Wang Yi’s confirmation of Starmer’s forthcoming official visit to China, ending an eight-year hiatus for British PM trips and signaling intent for closer alignment.
Wang Yi urged both countries, as UN Security Council stalwarts, to champion world peace and development by sticking to UN Charter tenets, enhancing talks and joint actions, addressing shared threats together, and upholding a UN-led world order in these unsteady times.
Powell lauded China’s role as the globe’s second-biggest economy and influential force, critiquing the gap in elite-level exchanges that has shortchanged both nations’ publics.
London hopes Starmer’s journey will spur stronger dialogues and collaborations across boards, evolving into a more cohesive strategic partnership. He affirmed faith in the visit’s triumph via combined resolve.
The agenda included in-depth exchanges on the Ukraine crisis and similar regional-international flashpoints.
As global powers realign, this parley positions UK-China relations for revival. Starmer’s itinerary may spotlight economic synergies, tech innovation, and security dialogues, countering narratives of inevitable rivalry with prospects for constructive engagement in a multipolar world.