英国首相访华｜对冲张又侠案｜UK Prime Minister Visits China | A Counterbalance to the Zhang Youxia Case

After the Zhang Youxia case broke out, Xi Jinping arranged a series of high‑density diplomatic activities to signal his continued power. The UK Prime Minister Rishi Starmer’s visit to China is portrayed as a diplomatic move that, rather than producing concrete agreements, serves to halt the deterioration of UK‑China relations and provide the UK with strategic space amid rising UK‑US uncertainty. Starmer avoided sensitive topics and emphasized pragmatism, signalling to domestic businesses that re‑engagement with China is possible and to Beijing that Britain will no longer confront it emotionally. China used the visit to reinforce its image as a stable partner in a turbulent international environment. However, according to Lao Du, the visit cannot rescue China’s economy or alter the structural confrontation with the West; its effect is limited, form over substance. What it truly stabilizes is Xi Jinping’s grip on power after the Zhang Youxia case, acting as an anchor of stability for his regime.