China Congratulates Andy Burnham as New UK Prime Minister

The Chinese government has conveyed its congratulations to Andy Burnham, who has taken office as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and appointed his latest cabinet. “Premier Li Qiang has sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Burnham on his appointment. China’s policy and position on developing China-UK relations are consistent,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated during a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday. Labour Party leader Andy Burnham officially became the UK’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade on Monday. “Both China and the UK are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world,” Lin Jian noted. He added that developing a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership serves the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples, and is also conducive to world peace, stability, and prosperity, which is the goal of China’s foreign policy. “China seeks to enhance communication and cooperation with the UK on the basis of mutual respect and proper handling of differences, and to jointly ensure that bilateral relations move in the right direction,” Lin Jian added. Burnham replaces Keir Starmer, who served for about two years, and is expected to maintain the UK’s commitment to NATO and support for Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its fifth year. Burnham officially became Prime Minister after King Charles III invited him to form a government at Buckingham Palace. The 56-year-old has pledged to improve public services, including the water system, and promote the devolution of power, according to local media reports. Burnham emerged as Starmer’s successor after returning to the national political scene with a landslide victory over the right-wing populist Reform UK party in the June 2026 election. As the sole candidate, he won the leadership contest on Friday after securing more than 90 percent of the vote from Labour members of parliament. In his first speech as Prime Minister outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham said his government would make politics “more collaborative” and focus on “solving problems” rather than simply “scoring points.” Burnham previously served as culture secretary, health secretary, and Mayor of Greater Manchester. His new cabinet must now confront the challenges that Starmer failed to resolve, including weak economic growth, overburdened public services, a high cost of living, and an increasingly fragmented political landscape.