Will Starmer’s election woes force a shake-up in the UK’s ties with China?

The ruling Labour Party’s dire results in local and regional elections in the UK late last week had damaged Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s authority and could lead to policy shifts, Chinese experts said.While some in Starmer’s party might push for changes in policy towards China, a U-turn on the government’s pro-engagement strategy was unlikely, the observers said, arguing that Britain’s economic position would make this move too costly.More than 5,000 seats across 136 English councils and six directly elected mayors were up for election on Thursday. Labour lost 1,193 seats and control of 36 councils across the United Kingdom as support for populist parties surged, arguably the worst local election result for any sitting prime minister. The party also lost two out of the three mayor positions it held before the elections.