Coffee House Shots: what should the UK's relationship with China be? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 31, 2026 · 16 MIN

Coffee House Shots: what should the UK's relationship with China be?

from Best of the Spectator

As Keir Starmer's visit to China draws to a close, Sam Olsen – who runs the States of Play substack – and Times columnist Cindy Yu join Patrick Gibbons to discuss how the UK should manage its relationship with China. Starmer's visit has drawn criticism from various China hawks – and from President Trump – but is there a way for the UK to balance legitimate security concerns with the need to trade with the world's second largest economic power? Plus, to what extent to the British public care about these geopolitical concerns? Cindy and Sam explain why is it important for policymakers to explain how these trips link back to domestic issues – and Cindy name checks James Cleverly as she highlights the importance of consistency amongst the political class.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 31, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Coffee House Shots: what should the UK's relationship with China be?

0:00 16:37

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Best of the Spectator?

This episode is 16 minutes long.

When was this Best of the Spectator episode published?

This episode was published on January 31, 2026.

Can I download this Best of the Spectator episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!