Global News Podcast First trip to China by a British PM in eight years
14 snips
Jan 28, 2026 
Jonah Fisher, a BBC environment correspondent who reports on conservation projects, Laura Bicker, BBC China correspondent based in Beijing, and Paul Moss, BBC global affairs reporter, discuss Keir Starmer's trip to China and its trade and security implications. They also cover China’s influence push, a French senator's legal case, and a creative conservation project using sunken barges to protect salt marshes.
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China Sees London As Strategic Leverage
- China views the UK as a prestige financial hub worth courting to boost its global standing and influence.
- Laura Bicker warns Starmer must balance trade opportunities with security 'hard rails' to avoid economic overreach.
Insist On Hard Rails In China Deals
- Put firm safeguards in trade deals with China to protect domestic industry and critical infrastructure.
- Encourage making EVs and renewables in the UK rather than importing finished goods, Laura Bicker suggests.
Final Hostage Returns Signal A Turning Point
- The return and burial of the last hostage marks a symbolic closing point for many Israelis after October 7.
- Yolande Nell notes it could open limited phases of the US-led peace plan, including a conditional Rafah crossing opening.