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Xi Jinping has told Keir Starmer their countries must “strengthen” ties to counter geopolitical headwinds.
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The Chinese leader was quoting as saying at their Beijing meeting on Thursday:
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The current international situation is complex and intertwined. As permanent members of the UN security council and major global economies, China and the UK need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation.
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Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the British PM’s trip to China. Keir Starmer has told Xi Jinping he wants a “more sophisticated” relationship with China.
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Speaking from Beijing, Starmer told Xi it had been “too long” since a British prime minister visited the country.
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“China is a vital player on the global stage and it is vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship,” he said.
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The Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar is in Beijing reporting on the meeting. Starmer also stressed the economic benefits of an improved relationship with China, saying:
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It is with the British people in mind that I am here today. I made the promise 18 months ago when we were elected into government that I would make Britain face outwards again.
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Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, to prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.
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Starmer’s trip to Beijing comes as he undertakes talk he hopes will strengthen the UK’s economic relationship with China after years of acrimony and amid British uncertainty on whether the US is still a reliable partner.
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We will bring you the latest developments in Beijing, live.
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Key occasions
Keir Starmer and Xi Jinping spoke privately for an hour and 20 minutes – practically double the allotted time for his or her assembly.
The 2 are because of have lunch collectively later at the moment. It’s now 1.01pm in Beijing.
Returning to Starmer’s feedback to Xi, the British PM known as for a deeper relationship with China throughout what he described as “difficult instances for the world”.
He instructed the Chinese language chief that their nations wanted to work collectively on world stability, local weather change and different points.
“I’ve lengthy been clear that the UK and China want a long run, constant and complete strategic partnership,” Starmer mentioned, quoted by the AP.
Starmer-Xi assembly ends
The assembly between Keir Starmer and Xi Jinping has ended, Downing Road has confirmed.
Earlier than his assembly with Xi Jinping assembly at the moment, Keir Starmer was welcomed by Nationwide Individuals’s Congress chairman Zhao Leji at Beijing’s Nice Corridor of the Individuals.
A report from the pool of journalists travelling with the British prime minister quotes Zhao as saying it was “vital” to develop the UK-China relationship “properly” amid the “altering and turbulent worldwide panorama”.
He additionally praised Starmer’s efforts to succeed in a rapprochement with China, saying relations have been now on “the right observe to enchancment and improvement” and “optimistic progress has been made.”
Starmer mentioned:
This can be a historic go to, the primary by a British prime minister in eight years. Now we have made this journey as a result of I consider it’s strongly in our widespread curiosity to seek out optimistic methods to work collectively, and that has been our long-standing place.
The PM completed by saying:
I stay up for a really productive few days discussing points of world stability and safety, development and shared challenges like local weather change.
There have been experiences the Starmer-Xi assembly continues to be going after greater than an hour, following earlier experiences it was scheduled for 40 minutes.
State information company Xinhua reported that their talks have been anticipated to cowl commerce ties, nationwide safety and human rights.
The assembly within the Nice Corridor of the Individuals comes on crucial day of Starmer’s four-day go to to China – the primary by a British PM since 2018.
Starmer instructed journalists earlier on his flight to Beijing that he wished to carry “stability and readability” to the bilateral relationship after years of “inconsistency” below the Tories when it went from “golden age to ice age”.
In different developments:
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The British PM can be because of maintain conferences with premier Li Qiang and China’s prime legislator, Zhao Leji, on Thursday.
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Starmer’s journey comes amid stress between the UK and longtime shut ally the US over President Donald Trump’s latest remarks together with threats to take management of Greenland and blasting what he known as UK “stupidity” over its resolution to cede the Chagos Islands.
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European and different western nations have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy with China as they hedge in opposition to US unpredictability, with Starmer’s go to instantly following one from Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, who signed an financial cope with Beijing to take down commerce obstacles, angering Trump.
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China indicated it was additionally keen to fix ties with the UK, portraying the connection with Britain as being at a “pivotal second”.
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Starmer instructed a delegation of enterprise leaders hours after arriving in China on Wednesday that it was time for a “mature” relationship between Britain and the world’s second-biggest economic system.
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Downing Road mentioned Starmer and Xi would announce that Britain and China would work collectively to deal with the gangs concerned in trafficking unlawful migrants, in an indication of how the nations may work collectively.
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Starmer was requested en path to China if he would carry up the case of Jimmy Lai and mentioned that he would “elevate the problems that should be raised” on human rights with Xi. Lai, a former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen, was convicted in December of nationwide safety crimes.
Some photos from the assembly between the 2 leaders are dropping:
Extra from Xi Jinping right here as he met Keir Starmer: the Chinese language chief mentioned the UK-China relationship lately had seen “twists and turns that didn’t serve the pursuits of our nations”.
Describing the state of the world as “turbulent and fluid”, Xi mentioned extra dialogue between the UK and China was “crucial”, whether or not it was “for the sake of world peace and stability or for our two nations’ economies and peoples”, PA Media is reporting.
Xi mentioned:
Up to now, Labour governments made necessary contributions to the expansion of China-UK relations.
China stands able to develop with the UK a long-term and constant strategic partnership. It’s going to profit our two peoples.
Xi says China and UK should ‘strengthen’ ties
Xi Jinping has instructed Keir Starmer their nations should “strengthen” ties to counter geopolitical headwinds.
The Chinese language chief was quoting as saying at their Beijing assembly on Thursday:
The present worldwide state of affairs is complicated and intertwined. As everlasting members of the UN safety council and main world economies, China and the UK have to strengthen dialogue and cooperation.
Opening abstract
Good morning and welcome to our dwell protection of the British PM’s journey to China. Keir Starmer has instructed Xi Jinping he needs a “extra subtle” relationship with China.
Talking from Beijing, Starmer instructed Xi it had been “too lengthy” since a British prime minister visited the nation.
“China is an important participant on the worldwide stage and it is important that we construct a extra subtle relationship,” he mentioned.
The Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar is in Beijing reporting on the assembly. Starmer additionally harassed the financial advantages of an improved relationship with China, saying:
It’s with the British individuals in thoughts that I’m right here at the moment. I made the promise 18 months in the past once we have been elected into authorities that I’d make Britain face outwards once more.
As a result of as everyone knows, occasions overseas have an effect on every little thing that occurs again in our house nations, to costs on the grocery store cabinets to how safe we really feel.
Starmer’s journey to Beijing comes as he undertakes speak he hopes will strengthen the UK’s financial relationship with China after years of acrimony and amid British uncertainty on whether or not the US continues to be a dependable associate.
We’ll carry you the newest developments in Beijing, dwell.
