Chinese President Xi Jinping met with British Prime Minister Starmer, who was visiting China for the first time.
According to China Central Television News, on the morning of the 29th, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with British Prime Minister Starmer, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
According to foreign media reports, during the meeting with Starmer, Xi Jinping said that China is ready to develop a long-term and stable strategic partnership with the UK. He stated that China-UK relations have experienced many ups and downs over the years, which does not serve the interests of both countries, and therefore more dialogue needs to be promoted.
Starmer told Xi Jinping that the UK hopes to establish a "more mature" relationship with China and emphasized that China plays an "important" role on the global stage, so the UK needs to build a more mature relationship with China.
On the afternoon of the 28th, Starmer arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport by plane, starting a four-day visit to China. Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an greeted him at the airport.
On the plane, Starmer told reporters that when it comes to China, the UK cannot adopt an ostrich mentality that avoids reality. "Engagement is in our interests. This will be a very important visit, and we will achieve some substantive progress."