British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday called for building a “sophisticated relationship” with China during high-level talks with President Xi Jinping, signalling a reset in ties after years of strained relations and marking the first visit by a UK prime minister to China in eight years.
KSE-100 Slides Over 1,700 Points in Early Trade as Selling Pressure Mounts
Starmer held an 80-minute meeting with Xi at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, followed by a working lunch, as part of his four-day official visit. He is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
“China is a vital player on the global stage, and it’s vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship where we can identify opportunities to collaborate, while also having meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree,” Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting.
President Xi said relations between the two countries had experienced “twists and turns” that served neither side and expressed China’s readiness to develop a long-term strategic partnership with Britain.
Following the talks, Starmer said “really good progress” had been made on several fronts, including whisky tariffs, visa-free travel, and cooperation on irregular migration.
“We made some really good progress on tariffs for whisky, on visa-free travel to China and on information exchange and cooperation on irregular migration, focusing particularly on small boats and engine parts,” Starmer told reporters, describing the summit as “a very constructive meeting with real outcomes”.
Starmer, whose Labour government is seeking to revive economic growth, has prioritised improving relations with the world’s second-largest economy and arrived in Beijing accompanied by more than 50 British business leaders, underlining the economic focus of the visit.
Downing Street said Britain and China also agreed to jointly tackle migrant smuggling networks, including efforts to curb the use of Chinese-made engines in small boats used to transport migrants across Europe. The initiative will involve intelligence sharing and cooperation with Chinese manufacturers to disrupt supply chains exploited by organised crime.
The British premier said he also raised sensitive issues during his meeting with Xi, including China’s human rights record and the trial of Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
“We did have a respectful discussion about that,” Starmer said. “Engagement gives us opportunities for cooperation, but also the space to raise areas where we disagree.”
Starmer’s visit comes amid renewed global diplomacy with Beijing, as Western nations seek to hedge against uncertainty in relations with the United States under President Donald Trump. The trip follows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to China, which resulted in an economic agreement aimed at easing trade barriers.
British-Chinese ties had cooled in recent years over national security concerns and developments in Hong Kong. Starmer said his government was committed to re-engaging internationally.
“I promised when we were elected that Britain would face outwards again,” he said. “Events abroad affect everything at home — from supermarket prices to how secure we feel.”
