UK to strike border security deal with China to help disrupt small boat supply lines

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The UK is set to strike a border security pact with China in a bid to prevent small boat engines and equipment used in English Channel crossings from being obtained by people smugglers, the British government said Wednesday.

In a statement, the government said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is in China as part of a three-day visit, is expected to seal the agreement with Beijing to tackle the flow of Chinese-made small boat parts.

The deal, which will be signed following Starmer's meetings Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, will for the first time enable joint UK-Chinese law enforcement action before boats and engines ever reach criminal networks in Europe.

"Last year, more than 60% of all engines used by smuggling gangs were found to be branded as Chinese manufactured engines," said the statement.

Under the agreement, UK law enforcement agencies will work with Chinese authorities to prevent small boat engines and equipment used in Channel crossings from getting into the hands of criminal gangs.

The government noted that this includes intelligence sharing to identify smugglers’ supply routes and direct engagement with Chinese manufacturers to prevent legitimate businesses from being exploited by organized crime.

"This deal will help us cut off the supply of boats at source – stopping crossings before lives are put at risk and restoring control to our borders,” Starmer said in the statement.

It came after a total of 41,472 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2025 — nearly 5,000 more than the previous year.

The increase came despite enhanced measures by the UK government to curb irregular migration.

The government said the deal will also strengthen cooperation on serious and organized crime, driving a crackdown on the production and trafficking of highly potent and dangerous synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, which are known to be produced in China and exported to the UK.

These drugs have been responsible for over 750 deaths in the UK, the statement added.