Burnham era to see steady engagement

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and a veteran Labour politician known for championing devolution, regional economic renewal and working-class communities, will succeed Keir Starmer as British prime minister on Monday.

In a speech after winning the Labour leadership on Friday, Burnham recalled working with Starmer a decade ago, thanked him for leading the party to victory in the 2024 general election, and praised his government's record.

"I have supported all our Labour leaders in my lifetime because I believe a united Labour Party and Labour movement is the best hope for our country," Burnham said before setting out priorities, which include ending internal party factionalism and devolving more power to local government.

Although Burnham did not outline his China policy, his long-standing advocacy of what has become known as "Manchesterism" — shifting power away from Westminster, expanding public control over essential infrastructure and promoting more balanced regional development — suggests continuity in Labour's pragmatic approach toward the world's second-largest economy.

Liverpool, Burnham's birthplace, is home to Europe's oldest Chinatown and is set to host Chinese automaker Chery's first European headquarters following Starmer's January visit to Beijing.

Nick Small, Liverpool City Council's cabinet member for growth and economy, said China's visa-free policy for citizens of the United Kingdom is encouraging greater people-to-people exchanges, while Chery's planned headquarters is expected to bring new investment and jobs.

Greater Manchester, where Burnham has served as mayor for the past decade, is also home to a large Chinese community. Many are among the estimated 200,000 passengers who have traveled over the past decade on direct flights between Manchester and Beijing, a route that celebrated its 10th anniversary last month.

In April, Burnham told Chinese Consul General Tang Rui that the city-region placed great importance on its relationship with China and was keen to expand cooperation in green development, electric buses, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

During the meeting, Burnham also fondly recalled a visit to China in 2018, saying he was impressed by the country's high-speed rail network.

He was quoted by media as saying during the visit that "railway passengers in the north of England deserve a service every bit as clean, comfortable and reliable as those traveling in northern China".

In remarks that seem almost prophetic of his prime ministerial plans, he said "the future of a global world is one of cities working together across borders and seas and making the difference".

"Stronger international city-tocity ties will not only allow us to share our experiences and best practices, but more importantly to work collaboratively across industry, academia and policy in shaping the solutions for tomorrow's world," he added.

Jim O'Neill, an adviser to the incoming prime minister, has argued that Britain needs deeper engagement with China and other Asian economies to adapt to the eastward shift in global economic power.

"The places that are going to make a difference to our trade and investment performance are China, India and Indonesia ... places which have a large number of people, which are growing fast, and which are taking a growing share of global GDP. Somewhere along the line, you've got to recognize that reality," he told British newspaper The Observer.

O'Neill, while serving as chief global economist at Goldman Sachs, coined the term "BRIC" — for Brazil, Russia, India and China — in 2001 and was a former UK Treasury minister during David Cameron's second cabinet in 2015. He also suggested that the UK should not be "petrified of Washington about China".

Strong willingness

Earlier this month, soon after Starmer announced his resignation, the British business community expressed a strong willingness to continue the momentum of pragmatic engagement with China at a London event that hosted visiting Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

"Serious engagement is back," UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle said at the event. "By working together and talking together, both of our nations can prosper."

Steven Lynch, director of international trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, wrote on social media later that he expects Burnham to understand the UK-China relationship and stay close to Labour's approach.

"Reengage, rebuild dialogue, partner where trade is possible, and challenge on national security and fair competition. Business doesn't need more geopolitical instability," he wrote.

When it comes to frictions arising from trade surpluses, Sebastian Wood, chair of the China-Britain Business Council, told China Daily that if the UK were to put up protectionist barriers, it would make its economy less competitive.

"The better way to do it is to actively seek to rebalance the relationship in a constructive way, by boosting exports to China, and also encouraging Chinese investment into the UK ... Protectionism is not the answer," he said.

Julian Shea and Zheng Wanyin contributed to this story.

xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn