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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer returned the praise during a visit to Beijing, saying he wants "more sophisticated" ties with China...
Dialogue between the United Kingdom and China is essential for "world peace," Chinese President Xi Jinping told Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, praising the head of Britain's center-left government as the two leaders marked a thaw in their relations.
The UK Prime Minister said he wanted "more sophisticated" ties with the world's second-largest economy, during a visit where he is seeking growth for the British economy and cooperation on issues such as climate change.
This is the first visit by a UK Prime Minister to China in 8 years, which has proven controversial in Britain due to concerns over Beijing's human rights record, economic imbalances and allegations of cyber sabotage in Britain by Chinese entities.
But in comments at the start of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the two leaders avoided difficult issues and heaped praise on each other's countries.
After years of frosty relations under Conservative UK governments, Starmer said that “China is a vital player on the global stage and it is vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship, where we can identify opportunities to cooperate but also allow for meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree.”
Communist leader Xi, speaking through an interpreter, singled out Britain's Labour Party, saying it had in the past "made important contributions to the growth of China-UK relations." He added that in recent years there have been "twists and turns that have not served the interests of our countries."
Describing the state of the world as "turbid and fluid", Xi said more dialogue between the two nations was "necessary", whether "for the sake of world peace and stability or for the economies and peoples of our two countries".
He added that leaders would "withstand the test of history" if they could rise above their differences.
Acknowledging the anger over China in the UK, Xi said that "your visit this time has attracted a lot of attention. Sometimes good things take time.
"As long as it is the right thing that serves the fundamental interests of the country and the people, then as leaders we should not shy away from difficulties," he added.
Starmer has tried to take a more measured approach than Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who warned that the world order was in disarray after his recent trip to Beijing and was later threatened with tariffs by US President Donald Trump. Starmer has insisted he can pursue trade with the US, the EU and China simultaneously in a way that protects national security.
The UK Prime Minister said he wanted to focus on "global stability and security, growth and shared challenges like climate change".
Starmer did not raise specific human rights concerns or policy details during his brief comments to the cameras, although he did refer to developing a "meaningful dialogue" on areas where the countries disagree.
Ahead of the meeting, Starmer declined to say whether he would raise the issue of Russia's war in Ukraine with Xi, or whether he would ask the Chinese leader to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the fighting.
China and the United Kingdom are expected to sign a series of agreements later on Thursday. They are expected to cover areas such as visa-free travel and mutual recognition of professional qualifications, but cooperation in deeper technology, including wind farms, seems less likely. /Adapted from Politico /
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