Britain, China set to revive 'Golden Era' business dialogue

Britain and China will aim to revive a "golden era" business dialogue when Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing next week, three sources familiar with the initiative said, with top company executives from both sides invited to participate.

Negotiations have been underway for some time. But with Starmer's visit largely contingent on approval for China to build its largest embassy in Europe in London - a green light it received on Tuesday - talks have only just begun in earnest, they said.

Details such as the group's official English-Language name still need to be settled, one person said, with the British government reluctant to include "CEO" in the title, while the Chinese side plans to keep the same Chinese translation used in 2018.

Premier Li Qiang, China's second-ranking official, should be Beijing's representative, if the talks go ahead, they added. The British side could announce the visit and Starmer's schedule as soon as Friday, that same person said.

All of the sources cautioned, however, that US President Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland could derail Starmer's trip, adding that, with the embassy decision still so recent, other elements of the visit were still being finalised.

None of the people could confirm which CEOs would attend, with one businessperson noting their company's chief executive had declined, unable to be sure the visit would proceed.

A visit by Starmer would be the first by a British leader since 2018, with his administration aiming to reset ties with the world's second-largest economy after successive Conservative governments shifted the UK from being one of Beijing's strongest backers in Europe to one of its fiercest critics.

Neither China nor Britain has officially announced Starmer's visit. The British embassy in Beijing said the prime minister's travel would be announced in the usual way. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.