Starmer-Xi meeting live: UK prime minister says he wants ‘more sophisticated’ relationship with China

<p>Starmer tells Xi Jinping during Beijing meeting that it has been ‘too long’ since a British PM has visited China. Follow the latest developments, live</p><p>There have been reports the Starmer-Xi meeting is still going after more than an hour, following earlier reports it was scheduled for 40 minutes.</p><p>The meeting in the Great Hall of the People comes on the most important day of Starmer’s four-day visit to China.</p><p><strong>The British PM is also due to hold meetings with premier Li Qiang and China’s top legislator</strong>, Zhao Leji, on Thursday.</p><p><strong>Starmer’s trip comes amid tension between the UK and longtime close ally the US</strong> over President Donald Trump’s recent remarks including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/trump-tariffs-over-greenland-are-an-error-says-ursula-von-der-leyen">threats to take control of Greenland</a> and blasting what he called UK “stupidity” over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/trump-greenland-chagos-islands-uk-stupidity">the Chagos Islands</a>.</p><p><strong>European and other western countries have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy with China</strong> as they hedge against US unpredictability, with Starmer’s visit immediately following one from Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, who signed an economic deal with Beijing to take down trade barriers, angering Trump.</p><p><strong>China indicated it was also eager to mend ties with the UK</strong>, portraying the relationship with Britain as being at a “pivotal moment”.</p><p><strong>Starmer told a delegation of business leaders</strong> hours after arriving in China on Wednesday that it was time for a “mature” relationship between Britain and the world’s second-biggest economy.</p><p><strong>Downing Street said Starmer and Xi would announce that Britain and China would work together to tackle the gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants</strong>, in a sign of how the countries could work together.</p><p><strong>Starmer was asked en route to China if he would bring up the case of Jimmy Lai</strong> and said that he would “raise the issues that need to be raised” on human rights with Xi. Lai, a former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen, was convicted in December of national security crimes.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/29/starmer-xi-jinping-meeting-uk-china-relationship-live">Continue reading...</a>

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