UK in China: Hard choices between rival superpowers | Independent Thinking podcast

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Beijing this week, determined to defrost the relationship that he says has gone from a ‘golden age to an ice age’. He left hailing progress made with Xi, but this was swiftly followed by a warning from Trump that closer engagement is ‘very dangerous’.

Audio

Published 30 January 2026 — 35 minute listen

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Ben Bland, head of our Asia-Pacific Programme, and Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China. They discuss the opportunities and risks of closer engagement between the UK and China, and why the opacity of Chinese elite politics makes them an unpredictable security actor.

About Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking is a weekly international affairs podcast hosted by our director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists, and Chatham House experts providing insight on the latest international issues.

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