Eastward ho!

Somehow, Starmer in China doesn't have quite the same ring as Nixon in China but his mission is still significant.

The great 15th century Chinese explorer-admiral, Zheng He, led seven expeditions to the 'Western' or Indian Ocean. He brought back many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms, including Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) before being forbidden any further expeditions by the new Emperor, Hongxi, in 1424. This effectively put a stop to Chinese inquisitiveness about the world beyond its own borders and led to centuries of isolationism and introspection, leaving it ill-prepared to repel the mercantile, territorial and imperial incursions of Britain, France and the United States - with their unequal treaties, treaty ports and opium wars - in the 19th and early-29th centuries.

For its part, the UK has not seen its Prime Minister visit China for eight years, the last to do so being Theresa May. Starmer's current visit, therefore, will probably be viewed, like Canada's Mark Carney's, as a reaction to Donald Trump's latest salvo of threats to impose trade tariffs on his allies and/or annex their countries. While these won't have done anything to impede Starmer's trip, the ground for it has been well-laid, with visits by David Lammy as Foreign Secretary in 2024 and Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, a year ago. Also, the recent well-timed decision to allow the controversial new Chinese Embassy in London (surely coincidental?) will have helped roll the pitch nicely for Sir Keir when he shakes President Xi's hand tomorrow.

Needless to say, Starmer has been criticised both for making this visit at all and for missing PMQs today in order to do so, living up to his nickname, 'Never Here Keir'. Not known for resisting any opportunity to criticise Starmer, I can't bring myself to blame him for either of these decisions - we ignore China at our peril (and, besides, annoying Iain Duncan Smith must be counted a result in itself) - and PMQs is a dreary ritual which any self-respecting PM would swerve given half a chance. Starmer sensibly resisted the temptation to fly to Davos last Wednesday, doubtless reasoning that, on balance, staying to face Kemi Badenoch at the despatch box was preferable to being snubbed or, worse, traduced by Donald Trump, but today's decision was a no-brainer. Had we a reliable ally in the US president, holding China at arm's length might have been an option.

As it is, like it or not, Trump has left us with no choice but to engage.


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