Approving super-embassy before China trip makes Starmer look weak, says Badenoch, as PM arrives in Beijing – UK politics live

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 14 min read 100% complete by Andrew SparrowJanuary 28, 2026 at 11:45 AM

AI Summary

long article 14 min

Keir Starmer arrived in Beijing for the first visit by a British Prime Minister to China in eight years. He is accompanied by a delegation of British business and cultural representatives seeking to build bridges with Beijing. Starmer acknowledged the politically sensitive nature of the trip, citing national security concerns and human rights issues. Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch criticized Starmer's approval of a super-embassy application just before the trip, suggesting it projects weakness. Badenoch also stated that the Conservative party still views Republicans in the US as a sister party.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ken McCallum 40% MI5 40% Xi Jinping 50% Conservative Party (Tories) ×350% Reform UK ×560% Beijing ×370% UK ×270% Kemi Badenoch ×770% China ×480% Keir Starmer ×690%

Keywords

china trip 90% keir starmer 80% uk politics 70% national security 60% kemi badenoch 60% reform uk 50% british businesses 50% human rights 50% embassy application 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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china trip keir starmer uk politics national security kemi badenoch reform uk british businesses human rights embassy application

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