What’s the longer trajectory of UK-China relations?

Sir Keir Starmer visited Beijing and Shanghai last week, making him the UK’s first prime minister to travel to China since Theresa May in 2018. The trip has sparked plenty of commentary that the two nations are aiming to end a ‘diplomatic ice age’ that has developed between them.   Ups and downs in this relationship are nothing new, however. In this episode of HistoryExtra’s series History Behind the Headlines: Briefing, Rana Mitter – ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School – looks back at the historical trajectory of ties between the UK and the China. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST  For further historical analysis of the latest breaking news, don't miss HistoryExtra's History Behind the Headlines podcast: https://play.megaphone.fm/vv4s-xn6tfmntfojkacmna And if you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not become a member of HistoryExtra for access to thousands of ad-free podcasts, hundreds of hours of video and a huge archive of articles from leading historians: https://www.historyextra.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices