Britain and China are moving to revive a “golden era” business dialogue as Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares for a planned visit to Beijing next week, three sources familiar with the initiative told Reuters. The effort aims to rebuild commercial ties between the two countries after a period of heightened political tension and mutual distrust, and could see top executives from major British and Chinese firms participate in a revamped “UK-China CEO Council.”
Among the British companies expected to join the relaunched council are AstraZeneca, BP, HSBC, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Schroders, and Standard Chartered. On the Chinese side, representatives are likely to include Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China Mobile, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Rail and Rolling Stock Corporation, China National Pharmaceutical Group, and BYD, according to the sources.
The original CEO Council was established in 2018 during a period when London and Beijing described their relationship as a “golden era.” The initiative was conceived by then-Prime Minister Theresa May and then-Premier Li Keqiang, with the stated aim of fast-tracking two-way investment and expanding bilateral trade in a healthier and more balanced direction. However, the council has been largely dormant amid worsening political relations and a shift in the UK’s approach to China under successive Conservative governments.
The sources said negotiations over the council have been ongoing for some time, but talks intensified only recently because Starmer’s visit is contingent on the UK government approving China’s plan to build its largest embassy in Europe in London. The embassy decision, announced earlier this week, has paved the way for the visit to move forward, though officials cautioned that details are still being finalised, including the council’s official English-language name. The British government is reportedly reluctant to include “CEO” in the title, while the Chinese side wants to retain the original Chinese translation used in 2018.
Despite the progress, uncertainty remains. Some corporate leaders have declined to commit to attending because they cannot be sure the trip will proceed, and officials warned that US President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland could derail the visit. One source said the British government could announce Starmer’s schedule as soon as Friday, but no formal confirmation has yet been issued.
Starmer’s planned trip would be the first visit by a British leader to China since 2018, reflecting his broader ambition to reset ties with the world’s second-largest economy. In a speech late last year, he accused previous Conservative governments of a “dereliction of duty” by allowing relations with Beijing to deteriorate, pointing out that France and Germany have continued high-level engagement with China while the UK has largely remained distant.
Commercial relations between the UK and China soured sharply after London banned Huawei from its 5G networks in 2020, and later moved to buy out China General Nuclear Power Corporation’s stake in a nuclear plant project amid security concerns. CGN, which was part of the original CEO Council, is unlikely to be included in the revamped group, alongside Huawei, reflecting ongoing political sensitivities in the UK over Chinese involvement in critical infrastructure.
The proposed revival of the business council signals an attempt by London to strike a new balance: re-engaging economically with China while maintaining a cautious stance on security and geopolitical risks. As both sides work to define the scope and membership of the new dialogue, the outcome could shape the trajectory of UK-China relations at a moment when global trade and diplomatic alignments are increasingly volatile.
