LONDON — Keir Starmer has defended his efforts to restore relations with China, rejecting calls to treat the superpower with suspicion in all interactions.

In a speech at the Lady Mayor’s banquet on Monday night, Starmer condemned the previous Conservative governments’ colder approach to Beijing as “staggering” and a “dereliction of duty.”

The U.K.-China relationship cooled under Boris Johnson and his successors, as hawks within the Conservative Party argued for a tougher line, citing both national security concerns and alleged human rights abuses.

Since taking office, Starmer has overseen closer engagement with Beijing, including several visits by high-profile Cabinet ministers as they hunt for overseas investment in Britain to boost growth.

His reset has drawn sharp criticism in recent months after his advisers were accused of contributing to the collapse of the prosecution of two men accused of spying for China, while a new super-embassy in London is expected to go ahead, despite security objections.

The prime minister defended his strategy Monday, saying the rise of China would be central to his foreign policy agenda, which he argued carries more consequence for the lives of British people than any other global shift.

He described China as “a defining force in technology, trade and global governance,” which also “poses national security threats to the U.K.”

“For years we have blown hot and cold,” he added.“We had the golden age, which then flipped to an Ice Age. We reject that binary choice.”

“Protecting our security is non-negotiable — our first duty. But by taking tough steps to keep us secure, we enable ourselves to cooperate in other areas.”

Starmer is reportedly preparing to visit China early next year, following trips by his chancellor, foreign secretary, and business secretary.

The PM met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in a brief “brush-by” at the recent G20 summit in South Africa, according to officials.

Starmer also used Monday’s speech to say Britain would “face outward again” after Brexit and“reassert our national interest on the world stage,” despite last week’s breakdown of talks over U.K. participation in the EU’s defense loan program.

In a swipe at Tory and Reform opponents, he took aim at the “corrosive, inward-looking attitude” of those who propose leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, saying: “It offers grievance rather than hope. A declinist vision of a lesser Britain — not a Great Britain.”