- UK Armed Forces Chief Visits China Amid Trade War
- Admiral Sir Tony Radakin Discusses Global Issues with China's Military
- UK Strengthens Military Ties with China Amid Indo-Pacific Tensions
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the British armed forces, has made a landmark visit to China—the first by a Chief of the Defence Staff in ten years.
During his trip to Beijing, Sir Tony engaged in discussions with Chinese military leaders on “issues of common concern,” according to a brief statement from China’s defence ministry.
“We agreed that in an unstable world we must play our part as responsible nations with global interests,” Sir Tony wrote on X. “And we reflected on the importance of military-to-military communications.”
The last visit of this kind took place in 2015. Since assuming office, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has sought to strengthen diplomatic ties with China.
The admiral’s visit coincided with heightened tensions in the ongoing trade war between China and the United States, following former President Donald Trump’s announcement of increased tariffs.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed on Thursday that the visit occurred earlier in the week.
“It’s always good to have military-to-military engagement, and that is what he was establishing,” Healey told reporters in Brussels.
Healey noted that Sir Tony’s trip followed a recent visit by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who became only the second foreign secretary in six years to visit China when he traveled there in October last year.
The defence secretary emphasized that Sir Tony was “very firm in the arguments about peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific” and expressed “concerns about any use of military aggression or assertiveness to pursue political ends.”
Healey did not specifically address Taiwan, where China has conducted major military drills widely regarded as provocative actions toward the island and the broader region.
Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. However, many Taiwanese see themselves as part of a separate nation, with most favoring the status quo—neither declaring independence from China nor uniting with it.
Following his visit to China, Sir Tony has joined Defence Secretary Healey in Brussels for discussions with allies regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
