On December 2nd, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued his toughest warning yet about China — calling Beijing a “national security threat” and accusing it of espionage and attempts to undermine British sovereignty. Two days later, his government confirmed the opposite direction: Starmer will travel to Beijing in late January, becoming the first British PM to visit China since 2018. This contradiction is the Starmer Paradox: Engage China economically, confront China on security — and try to do bo