
Hesai Group Reports First Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results
Quarterly net revenues were RMB525.3 million (US$72.4 million)1Quarterly lidar shipments were 195,818 units
SHANGHAI, China, May 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hesai Group ('Hesai' or the 'Company'), (NASDAQ: HSAI), the global leader in three-dimensional light detection and ranging (lidar) solutions, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Management Remarks
'Hesai was ranked as the world's No.1 automotive lidar company by revenue market share for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, according to Yole Group—affirming our industry leadership. 2025 is off to a strong start, and we are ready to build on this momentum,' said Yifan 'David' Li, Hesai's Co-Founder and CEO. 'At the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, one thing was clear—OEMs are all-in on intelligent driving. Our three core beliefs for lidar echo this vision—safety is not optional, never second-best, and without limits. Our ADAS lidar brings these values to life and continues to secure major design wins with new deals signed recently with Chery, Great Wall Motor, Zeekr, and Geely. Internationally, we've made rapid progress by securing a new development project with a Top 5 global Tier 1 supplier headquartered in Japan. We also empowered the Robotaxi industry as the main lidar supplier for next-generation fleets from Baidu Apollo Go, DiDi, Pony.ai, and WeRide, while supporting the global expansion of some partners into key overseas markets. Beyond transportation, we believe every robot needs lidar as a foundational 3D sensor. Our JT series has emerged as a key enabler in this space, attracting strong interest from a wide range of Robotics customers. With accelerating adoption and expanding opportunities across the ADAS and Robotics segments, we are confident in our ability to scale our reach and unlock even greater growth in the quarters to come.'
'In the first quarter of 2025, we delivered strong financial and operational results, with net revenues growing nearly 50% year-over-year,' said Mr. Andrew Fan, Hesai's CFO. 'We shipped close to 200,000 lidar units—more than triple the volume from the same period last year. Notably, we significantly narrowed our net loss by 84% year-over-year to RMB17.5 million (US$2.4 million), while remaining Non-GAAP2 profitable for the quarter—a result that exceeded our earlier guidance and stands out given that the first quarter is typically a seasonally slower period.'
'With a solid foundation in place and accelerating demand across both ADAS and Robotics, we are well positioned to maintain growth momentum and remain on track to hit our full-year profitability target, despite a dynamic tariff environment.'
_____________________________________1 All translations from RMB to USD for the first quarter of 2025 were made at the exchange rate of RMB7.2567 to US$1.00, the exchange rate on March 31, 2025, set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.2 See 'Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures' and 'Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results' included in this release for further details.
:
Global:
Secured a new development project, specifically a Proof of Concept (POC) program, with a Top 5 global Tier 1 supplier headquartered in Japan—marking their first inclusion in Hesai's client portfolio.
Hesai has been actively driving five POC programs with four top global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers across Europe and Japan, with three successfully completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Domestic:
Secured ADAS design wins with 23 OEMs globally across over 120 vehicle models, including recent new model design wins with:
Chery (EV brand, iCAR)
Great Wall Motor (EV brand, ORA)
Zeekr (multiple top-selling models)
Geely (an upcoming model)
In May, Li Auto's entire L series EV lineup integrated Hesai's ATL lidar—a specialized variant of the ATX—as a standard configuration, delivering sharp 3D perception that's best in its category.
The ATX lidar has secured design wins with 12 OEMs to date, with mass production ramping up and close to 40,000 units shipped in Q1 2025.
Empowered the Robotaxi industry as the main lidar supplier for next-generation fleets from Baidu Apollo Go, DiDi, Pony.ai, and WeRide, while supporting the global expansion of some partners into key overseas markets.
Expanded partnership with a leading smart home robotics company in China, under which the Company will provide 300,000 units of JT Robotics lidars over the next 12 months.
:
New Products:
AT1440: World's highest-channel-count automotive lidar, delivering ultra-high-definition point clouds at over 34 million points per second—providing over 45 times the point cloud density of mainstream automotive lidars.
FTX: Next-generation solid-state lidar for blind spot detection, with a 180° × 140° field of view—the widest in its class, twice the resolution of its predecessor, FT120, and 40% smaller window for easier integration.
ETX: Purpose-built for L3 with the world's longest detection range of up to 400 meters at 10% reflectivity.
New Solutions: Unveiled the Infinity Eye (千厘眼) Lidar Solution for L2 to L4 autonomous driving systems through three tailored configurations:
Infinity Eye A: Built for high-level L4 autonomous systems, supported by four AT1440 main lidars and four FTX lidars for 360-degree coverage.
Infinity Eye B: Designed for L3 conditional autonomy, featuring one ETX main lidar paired with two FTX lidars.
Infinity Eye C: Tailored for L2 ADAS applications, using one compact yet powerful ATX main lidar.
Hesai Announces Successful Resolution of All IP Related Litigation Against It, Reaffirms Its Unwavering Commitment to Innovation and R&D
Hesai today proudly announced that all existing intellectual property (IP) actions brought against it by competitors have been dismissed without any conditions, financial settlement or injunctive relief entered against it. This outcome reaffirms the strength of Hesai's intellectual property position, the robustness of its legal strategy and Hesai's market leadership position based on its innovations.
In April 2023, Ouster initiated legal proceedings against Hesai in both the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), alleging patent infringement and seeking damages and injunctive relief. In response, the Company immediately took firm legal action to defend its rights. In May 2023, Hesai filed for arbitration to enforce the terms of a prior Settlement Agreement. In response, the ITC terminated its investigation without imposing any conditions or settlement terms. In March of this year, the arbitration tribunal issued a confidential interim decision, finding that Ouster was subject to the Settlement Agreement. As a result, the District Court of Delaware recently dismissed Ouster's patent infringement case without any conditions, financial settlement or injunctive relief imposed.
'This marks the end of all existing IP-related actions against us and validates our long-standing efforts to develop and protect our proprietary technologies. We are proud that the strength of our IP portfolio and research and development has withstood legal scrutiny and prevailed,' said Yifan 'David' Li, Hesai's Co-Founder and CEO.
With the largest IP portfolio and biggest R&D team among industry peers by the end of 2024, Hesai continues to lead the sector in innovation. 'Our deep passion for technological advancement and our unwavering commitment to research and development are the foundation of our business, which has given us a powerful technological edge—and no amount of legal maneuvering can undo that,' added Dr. Li.
"As we move forward, Hesai remains focused on what we do best: innovating, building and delivering world-class solutions for our partners and customers across the globe," concluded Dr. Li.
Operational Highlights
Three months ended March 31, 2025
ADAS lidar shipments
146,087
Robotics lidar shipments
49,731
Total lidar shipments
195,818
Q1 2025 ADAS lidar shipments were 146,087 units, representing an increase of 178.5% from 52,462 units in the corresponding period of 2024.
Q1 2025 Total lidar shipments were 195,818 units, representing an increase of 231.3% from 59,101 units in the corresponding period of 2024.
Financial Highlights for the First Quarter of 2025(in RMB millions, except for per ordinary share data and percentage)
Q1 2025
Q1 2024
% Change
Net revenues
525.3
359.1
46.3%
Gross margin
41.7%
38.8%
/
Loss from operations
(33.4)
(138.5)
-75.8%
Non-GAAP loss from operations
(7.3)
(100.7)
-92.8%
Net loss
(17.5)
(106.9)
-83.6%
Non-GAAP net income/(loss)
8.6
(69.1)
/
Net loss per ordinary share – basic and diluted
(0.13)
(0.84)
-84.5%
Non-GAAP net income/(loss) per ordinary share
0.07
(0.54)
/
Diluted non-GAAP net income/(loss) per ordinary share
0.06
(0.54)
/
Net revenues were RMB525.3 million (US$72.4 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 46.3% from RMB359.1 million for the same period of 2024. Product revenues were RMB510.7 million (US$70.4 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 44.7% from RMB353.0 million for the same period of 2024. The year-over-year increase was mainly attributable to increased revenues from sales of ADAS lidar products due to robust demand in China. Service revenues were RMB14.6 million (US$2.0 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 139.3% from RMB6.1 million for the same period of 2024. The year-over-year increase was driven by an increase in revenue from non-recurring engineering services.
Cost of revenues was RMB306.1 million (US$42.2 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 39.2% from RMB219.9 million for the same period of 2024.
Gross margin was 41.7% for the first quarter of 2025, compared with 38.8% for the same period of 2024. The year-over-year increase was due to effective cost and scale optimization on both ADAS and Robotics lidars.
Sales and marketing expenses were RMB50.5 million (US$7.0 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 20.5% from RMB42.0 million for the same period of 2024. The increase was mainly driven by an increase in payroll expenses of RMB11.1 million (US$1.5 million).
General and administrative expenses were RMB54.1 million (US$7.5 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing a decrease of 21.3% from RMB68.8 million for the same period of 2024. The decrease was mainly driven by a decrease in share-based compensation expenses of RMB10.7 million (US$1.5 million).
Research and development expenses were RMB183.3 million (US$25.3 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing a decrease of 5.7% from RMB194.4 million for the same period of 2024. The year-over-year decrease was mainly due to a decrease in rental expenses of RMB6.4 million (US$0.9 million) and depreciation and amortization expenses of RMB2.9 million (US$0.4 million).
Loss from operations was RMB33.4 million (US$4.6 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing a decrease of 75.8% from RMB138.5 million for the same period of 2024. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP loss from operations for the first quarter of 2025 was significantly narrowed from RMB100.7 million for the first quarter of 2024 to RMB7.3 million (US$1.0 million).
Net loss was RMB17.5 million (US$2.4 million) for the first quarter of 2025, representing a decrease of 83.6% from RMB106.9 million for the same period of 2024. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP net income was RMB8.6 million (US$1.2 million) for the first quarter of 2025, compared with non-GAAP net loss of RMB69.1 million for the same period of 2024.
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company was RMB17.5 million (US$2.4 million) for the first quarter of 2025, compared with RMB106.9 million for the same period of 2024. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company was RMB8.6 million (US$1.2 million) for the first quarter of 2025, compared with non-GAAP net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company of RMB69.1 million for the same period of 2024.
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share were RMB0.13 (US$0.02) for the first quarter of 2025. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share were RMB0.07 (US$0.01) and RMB0.06 (US$0.01), respectively, for the first quarter of 2025.
Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments were RMB2,860.7 million (US$394.2 million) as of March 31, 2025, compared with RMB3,204.8 million as of December 31, 2024.
Business Outlook
For the second quarter of 2025, the Company expects net revenues to be between RMB680 million (US$93.7 million) and RMB720 million (US$99.2 million), representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 48% to 57%.
The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change.
Conference Call
The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 9:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time on May 26, 2025 (9:00 AM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on May 27, 2025).
For participants who wish to join the call by phone, please access the link provided below to complete the pre-registration process and dial in 5 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time. Upon registration, each participant will receive dial-in details to join the conference call.
Event Title:
Hesai Group First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call
Pre-registration Link:
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10046747-c2nt84.html
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at https://investor.hesaitech.com.
A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately an hour after the conclusion of the call until June 03, 2025, by dialing the following telephone numbers:
United States:
+1-855-883-1031
International:
+61-7-3107-6325
Hong Kong, China:
800-930-639
China Mainland:
400-120-9216
Replay PIN:
10046747
About Hesai
Hesai Technology (Nasdaq: HSAI) is a global leader in lidar solutions. The company's lidar products enable a broad spectrum of applications including passenger and commercial vehicles ("ADAS"), as well as autonomous driving vehicles and robotics and other non-automotive applications such as last-mile delivery robots and AGVs ("Robotics"). Hesai seamlessly integrates its in-house manufacturing process with lidar R&D and design, enabling rapid product iteration while ensuring high performance, high quality and affordability. The company's commercially validated solutions are backed by superior R&D capabilities across optics, mechanics, and electronics. Hesai has established offices in Shanghai, Palo Alto and Stuttgart, with customers spanning more than 40 countries.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement Hesai's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, Hesai uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC: income/loss from operation excluding share-based compensation expenses, net profit/loss excluding share-based compensation expenses, net profit/loss attributable to ordinary shareholders excluding share-based compensation, and per ordinary share net income/loss attributable to ordinary shareholders excluding share-based compensation. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned 'Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results' set forth at the end of this release.
Hesai believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity by excluding share-based compensation expenses that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. Hesai believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to Hesai's historical performance and liquidity. Hesai believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A limitation of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that they exclude share-based compensation expenses that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in our business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP financial measure. The accompanying tables have more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.
Exchange Rate Information
This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to RMB are made at a rate of RMB7.2567 to US$1.00, the exchange rate on March 31, 2025, set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or U.S. dollars amounts referred could be converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the 'safe harbor' provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as 'will,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'aims,' 'future,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'confident,' 'potential,' 'continue' or other similar expressions. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC'), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; expected changes in the Company's revenues, costs or expenditures; the trends in, expected growth and the market size of the ADAS and Robotics industries; the market for and adoption of lidar and related technology; the Company's ability to produce high-quality products with wide market acceptance; the success of the Company's customers in developing and commercializing products using its solutions, and the market acceptance of those products; the Company's ability to introduce new products that meet its customers' requirement; the Company's expectations regarding the effectiveness of its marketing initiatives and the relationship with its third-party partners; competition in the Company's industry; the Company's ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; relevant government policies and regulations relating to the Company's industry; the Company's ability to protect its systems and infrastructures from cyber-attacks; general economic and business conditions globally and in China; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Hesai GroupYuanting 'YT' Shi, Head of Capital MarketsEmail: ir@hesaitech.com
Christensen AdvisoryTel: +86-10-5900-1548Email: hesai@christensencomms.com
Source: Hesai Group
HESAI GROUPUNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(All amounts in thousands, except share and per share data and otherwise noted)
As of
December 31,2024
March 31,2025
RMB
RMB
US$
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
2,838,966
2,826,605
389,517
Restricted cash
3,594
3,589
495
Short-term investments
362,195
30,482
4,201
Notes receivables
22,341
20,579
2,836
Accounts receivable, net
765,027
957,644
131,967
Contract assets
9,909
9,909
1,365
Amounts due from related parties
5,039
5,036
694
Inventories
482,137
489,974
67,520
Prepayments and other current assets, net
193,448
212,088
29,227
Total current assets
4,682,656
4,555,906
627,822
Non-current assets:
Property and equipment, net
944,218
980,286
135,087
Long-term investments
31,798
31,787
4,380
Intangible assets, net
76,554
79,763
10,992
Land-use rights, net
39,879
39,663
5,466
Operating lease right-of-use assets
114,260
81,928
11,290
Other non-current assets
100,246
58,049
7,999
Total non-current assets
1,306,955
1,271,476
175,214
TOTAL ASSETS
5,989,611
5,827,382
803,036
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings
345,253
280,266
38,622
Note payable
10,096
53,982
7,439
Accounts payable
345,011
346,867
47,800
Contract liabilities
32,994
26,978
3,718
Amounts due to related parties
335,253
5,335
735
Accrued warranty liability
43,607
48,180
6,639
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
516,726
360,743
49,712
Total current liabilities
1,628,940
1,122,351
154,665
Non-current liabilities
Long-term borrowings
269,438
300,288
41,381
Lease liabilities
98,370
69,796
9,618
Other non-current liabilities
61,132
57,813
7,967
Total non-current liabilities
428,940
427,897
58,966
TOTAL LIABILITIES
2,057,880
1,550,248
213,631
Shareholders' equity
Class A Ordinary shares
19
17
2
Class B Ordinary shares
70
73
11
Additional paid-in capital
7,577,113
7,615,445
1,049,436
Subscription receivables
(292,721
)
-
-
Accumulated other comprehensive income
56,975
88,873
12,247
Accumulated deficit
(3,409,725
)
(3,427,274
)
(472,291
)
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
3,931,731
4,277,134
589,405
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
5,989,611
5,827,382
803,036HESAI GROUPUNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)(All amounts in thousands, except share and per share data and otherwise noted)
Three months ended March 31,
2024
2025
RMB
RMB
US$
Net revenues
359,120
525,302
72,389
Cost of revenues
(219,898
)
(306,067
)
(42,177
)
Gross profit
139,222
219,235
30,212
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing expenses
(41,964
)
(50,546
)
(6,965
)
General and administrative expenses
(68,767
)
(54,087
)
(7,453
)
Research and development expenses
(194,402
)
(183,305
)
(25,260
)
Other operating income, net
27,456
35,256
4,858
Total operating expenses
(277,677
)
(252,682
)
(34,820
)
Loss from operations
(138,455
)
(33,447
)
(4,608
)
Interest income
32,795
20,521
2,828
Interest expenses
(2,286
)
(5,007
)
(690
)
Foreign exchange income/(loss), net
1,493
1,024
141
Other loss, net
(212
)
(694
)
(96
)
Net loss before income tax and share of loss in equity method investments
(106,665
)
(17,603
)
(2,425
)
Income tax benefit/(expense)
(248
)
67
9
Share of loss in equity method investment
(12
)
(12
)
(2
)
Net loss
(106,925
)
(17,548
)
(2,418
)
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company
(106,925
)
(17,548
)
(2,418
)
Net loss per share:
Basic and diluted
(0.84
)
(0.13
)
(0.02
)
Weighted average ordinary shares used in calculating net loss per share:
Basic and diluted
127,336,569
131,456,631
131,456,631
Net loss
(106,925
)
(17,548
)
(2,418
)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax of nil:
Foreign currency translation adjustments
3,088
31,898
4,396
Comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax of nil
(103,837
)
14,350
1,978HESAI GROUPUNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS(All amounts in thousands, except share and per share data and otherwise noted)
For the three months ended March 31,
2024
2025
RMB
RMB
US$
Loss from operations
(138,455
)
(33,447
)
(4,609
)
Add: Share-based compensation expenses
37,800
26,185
3,608
Non-GAAP loss from operations
(100,655
)
(7,262
)
(1,001
)
Net loss
(106,925
)
(17,548
)
(2,418
)
Add: Share-based compensation expenses
37,800
26,185
3,608
Non-GAAP net income/(loss)
(69,125
)
8,637
1,190
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company
(106,925
)
(17,548
)
(2,418
)
Add: Share-based compensation expenses
37,800
26,185
3,608
Non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company
(69,125
)
8,637
1,190
Weighted average shares used in calculating net earnings/(loss) per share
Basic
127,336,569
131,456,631
131,456,631
Diluted
127,336,569
138,705,035
138,705,035
Non-GAAP net earnings/(loss) per share
Basic
(0.54
)
0.07
0.01
Diluted
(0.54
)
0.06
0.01

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The sprawling city of Chongqing in southwestern China is an incredible sight. Built on mountainous terrain and crisscrossed by rivers, it is connected by vast elevated roads. Trains even run through some buildings. TikTokers have begun documenting their commutes in the striking urban architecture, generating millions of likes and much hype. But it is also where, on a somewhat quieter trip, mayors and their deputies from the UK recently visited - the largest British civic delegation to visit the country in modern history. The whole trip, which took place in March, received substantial Chinese media coverage, despite flying more under the radar in the UK. The impression it left on some of the politicians who travelled there was vast. "[The city is] what happens if you take the planning department and just say 'yes' to everything," reflects Howard Dawber, deputy London mayor for business. "It's just amazing." The group travelled to southern Chinese cities, spoke to Chinese mayors and met Chinese tech giants. So impressed was one deputy mayor that, on returning home, they bought a mobile phone from Chinese brand Honor (a stark contrast from the days the UK banned Huawei technology from its 5G networks, just a few years ago). Roughly half-a-dozen deals were signed on the back of the trip. The West Midlands, for example, agreed to establish a new UK headquarters in Birmingham for Chinese energy company EcoFlow. But the visit was as much about diplomacy as it was trade, says East Midlands deputy mayor Nadine Peatfield, who attended. "There was a real hunger and appetite to rekindle those relationships." To some, it was reminiscent of the "golden era" of UK-China relations, a time when then-Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping shared a basket of fish and chips and a pint. Those days have long felt far away. Political ties with China deteriorated under former UK Conservative Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. The last UK prime minister to visit China was Theresa May, in 2018. But the recent delegation - and the talk of Sir Keir Starmer possibly visiting China later this year - suggests a turning point in relations. But to what greater intent? The course correction seemed to begin with the closed-door meeting between Sir Keir and Chinese President Xi in Brazil last November. The prime minister signalled that Britain would look to cooperate with China on climate change and business. Since then, Labour's cautious pursuit of China has primarily focused on the potential financial upsides. In January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves co-chaired the first UK-China economic summit since 2019, in Beijing. Defending her trip, she said: "Choosing not to engage with China is no choice at all." Reeves claimed re-engagement with China could boost the UK economy by £1bn, with agreements worth £600m to the UK over the next five years — partially achieved through lifting barriers that restrict exports to China. Soon after, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband resumed formal climate talks with China. Miliband said it would be "negligence" to future generations not to have dialogue with the country, given it is the world's biggest carbon emitter. Labour simply describes its approach as "grown-up". But it all appears to be a marked shift from the last decade of UK-China relations. During the so-called "golden era", from 2010, the UK's policy towards China was dominated by the Treasury, focusing on economic opportunities and appearing to cast almost all other issues, including human rights or security, aside. By September 2023, however, Rishi Sunak said he was "acutely aware of the particular threat to our open and democratic way of life" posed by China. Labour claimed in its manifesto that it would bring a "long-term and strategic approach". China has a near monopoly on extracting and refining rare earth minerals, which are critical to manufacturing many high-tech and green products. For example, car batteries are often reliant on lithium, while indium is a rare metal used for touch screens. This makes China a vital link in global supply chains. "China's influence is likely to continue to grow substantially globally, especially with the US starting to turn inwards," says Dr William Matthews, a China specialist at Chatham House think tank. "The world will become more Chinese, and whilst that is difficult for any Western government, there needs to be sensible engagement from the get-go." Andrew Cainey, a director of the UK National Committee on China, an educational non-profit organisation, says: "China has changed a lot since the Covid-19 pandemic. To have elected officials not having seen it, it's a no brainer for them to get back on the ground". Certainly many in the UK's China-watching community believe that contact is an essential condition to gain a clearer-eyed view of the opportunities posed by China, but also the challenges. The opportunities, some experts say, are largely economic, climate and education-related. Or as Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies at King's College London, puts it: "China is producing information, analysis and ways of doing things that we can learn from". He points to the intellectual, technological, AI, and life sciences opportunities. Not engaging with China would be to ignore the realities of geopolitics in the 21st century, in Dr Matthew's view, given that it is the world's second largest economy. However he also believes that engagement comes with certain risks. But Charles Parton, who spent 22 years of his diplomatic career working in or on China, raises questions about the UK's economic and national security. For example, the government is reportedly weighing up proposals for a Chinese company to supply wind turbines for an offshore windfarm in the North Sea. Mr Parton warns against allowing China access to the national grid: "It wouldn't be difficult in a time of high tension to say, 'by the way, we can turn off all your wind farms'". But earlier this year, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU issued a statement expressing concern over the "politicisation" of deals between wind developers in Europe and Chinese turbine suppliers. Xi's real test is not Trump's trade war North and South Korea are in an underground war - Kim Jong Un might now be winning The Conservative Party faces problems - is its leader one of them? James Sullivan, director of Cyber and Tech at defence think tank Rusi, notes there are also some questions around cyberspace. "China's activities in cyberspace appear to be more strategically and politically focused compared to previous opportunistic activities," he says. As for defence, the UK's recently published defence review describes China as a "sophisticated and persistent challenge", with Chinese technology and its proliferation to other countries "already a leading challenge for the UK". Ken McCallum, MI5 director general, meanwhile, has previously warned of a sustained campaign on an "epic scale" of Chinese espionage abroad. But Prof Brown pushes back on some concerns about espionage, saying some media narratives about this are a "fairytale". Beijing has always dismissed accusations of espionage as attempts to "smear" China. Sir Keir and his team will no doubt be closely monitoring how this is all viewed by Washington DC. Last month, President Donald Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro described Britain as "an all too compliant servant of Communist China", urging the UK against deepening economic ties. "When it comes to foreign policy towards China, America's influence on policy will be quite substantive compared with say continental Europe," says Dr Yu Jie of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS think tank. Most analysts I speak to in both the UK and China are still clear on the need for the two countries to get back in the same room, even if they differ on where to draw the line: in which areas should Westminster cooperate and where should it stay clear. These red lines have not yet been drawn, and experts say that without some kind of playbook, it is difficult for businesses and elected officials to know how to engage. "You can only keep firefighting specific issues for so long without developing a systematic plan," warns Mr Cainey. Certain thorny issues have arisen, including Chinese investments in the UK. For example in April when the government seized control of British Steel from its former Chinese owner Jingye, to prevent it from being closed down, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds admitted that he would "look at a Chinese firm in a different way" when considering investment in the UK steel industry. China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, warned that Labour should avoid "linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK". After Starmer met Xi last year, he said the government's approach would be "rooted in the national interests of the UK", but acknowledged areas of disagreement with China, including on human rights, Taiwan and Russia's war in Ukraine. Securing the release of pro-democracy activist and British citizen Jimmy Lai from a Hong Kong prison is, he has said, a "priority" for the government. Labour's manifesto broadly pledged: "We will cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must." What is still lacking, however, is the fine print. Asked about the British government's longer-term strategy, Mr Parton replied: "No.10 doesn't have a strategy." He tells me he has some specific advice: "Go with your eyes open," he says. "But have a clear idea of what needs protecting, and a willingness to take some short-term financial hits to protect long-term national security." Labour has suggested that some clarity on their approach will be provided through the delayed China "audit", a cross-government exercise launched last year, which will review the UK's relations with China. The audit is due to be published this month, but many doubt that it will resolve matters. "If we see a visit from Starmer to Beijing, that will be an indication that the two sides have actually agreed with something, and that they would like to change and improve their bilateral relationship," says Dr Yu. But many people in Westminster remain China-sceptic. And even if the audit helps Britain better define what it wants out of its relationship with China, the question remains, do MPs and businesses have the China-related expertise to get the best out of it? According to Ruby Osman, China analyst at the Tony Blair Institute, there is an urgent need to build the UK's China capabilities in a more holistic way, focusing on diversifying the UK's points of contact with China. "If we want to be in a position where we are not just listening to what Beijing and Washington want, there needs to be investment in the talent pipeline coming into government, but also think tanks and businesses who work with China," she argues. And if that's the case, then irrespective of whether closer ties with China is viewed as a security threat, an economic opportunity, or something in between, the UK might be in a better position to engage with the country. Top image credit: PA BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.