BEIJING: Britain and China are expected to sign a cooperation agreement on Thursday aimed at disrupting supply chains used by migrant smugglers, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues his high-profile visit to Beijing, Downing Street said.
Starmer arrived in China on Wednesday on the first visit by a British prime minister since 2018, seeking to reset strained ties and promote what he described as a “pragmatic” partnership with the world’s second-largest economy.
Irregular migration remains a politically sensitive issue for the British leader, who has pledged to crack down on human trafficking networks and curb the rising number of migrants arriving on England’s southern coast. Nearly 42,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats last year, the second-highest annual figure on record.
According to Downing Street, more than half of the small boat engines used by smugglers are manufactured in China. The agreement will focus on intelligence sharing and direct engagement with Chinese manufacturers to prevent organised crime groups from exploiting supply chains.
The deal also includes cooperation against the trafficking of synthetic opioids, including nitazenes, which British authorities say are produced in China and exported to the UK.
Starmer is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday. Addressing a delegation of business leaders accompanying him, the prime minister said engagement with China was in Britain’s national interest and urged firms to seize emerging economic opportunities.
The visit is part of a broader push by London to strengthen trade and investment ties with Beijing while also raising concerns over security and human rights. It follows similar outreach by several Western leaders amid growing uncertainty in relations with the United States under President Donald Trump.