Xi Jinping, British PM meet in Beijing

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in Beijing that he wanted to build a "sophisticated relationship" aiming to boost growth and security, Reuters reports.

On the most important day of his four-day visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in eight years, Starmer held talks with Xi at the Great Hall of the People before they lunched together.

"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, but of course, also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree," Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting, according to Reuters.

Xi said ties with Britain had gone through "twists and turns" that did not serve the interests of either country and that China stood ready to develop a long-term strategic partnership.

Starmer's visit immediately follows that of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who signed an economic deal with Beijing to tear down trade barriers.

Starmer has adopted a new policy of engagement with China after ties deteriorated for years under previous Conservative governments, when London curbed some Chinese investment over national security worries and expressed concern over a crackdown on political freedoms in Hong Kong, according to Reuters.

"I made the promise 18 months ago, when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outwards again," Starmer told Xi.

"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."