RIO DE JANEIRO: Chinese President Xi Jinping told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Monday said China and Britain should adopt a rational and objective perspective on each other’s development, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi and Starmer met in Rio de Janeiro on the sidelines of the G20 summit, according to Xinhua. Starmer hailed the importance of a “strong UK-China relationship”.
In the first bilateral meeting between a British prime minister and the Chinese leader since February 2018, Starmer told Xi the UK wanted “consistent, durable, respectful” bilateral relations.
The Chinese leader in turn told Starmer that the two countries had “vast space for cooperation”, according to China’s state media.
“China and Britain should uphold their strategic partnership and open up new prospects for China-UK relations,” Xi said.
“The world is currently entering a new period of major changes,” Xi told Starmer, adding that their respective countries “shoulder the important task of… responding to global challenges”.
The leaders of Britain and China last met for in-person bilateral talks nearly seven years ago, when ex-prime minister Theresa May travelled to Beijing to try to boost trade as Brexit loomed large.
“We want our relations to… avoid surprises where possible and strengthened dialogue should provide stronger understanding,” Starmer told Xi as reported by AFP.
A “strong UK-China relationship is important for both of our countries” and for the “broader international community”, he said, promising London would be a “predictable, consistent, sovereign actor”.
Xi said that the two countries should enhance strategic communication and deepen political mutual trust to ensure a steady, substantial, and enduring development of bilateral relations.
Today I met President Xi Jinping.
The UK and China have a shared responsibility to work together in pursuit of global security, economic co-operation and the clean energy transition.
My government’s approach will always be rooted in the interests of the UK. pic.twitter.com/N60EW1T3Uv
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 18, 2024
Noting that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, Xi said that China and Britain, both as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major global economies, share the responsibilities of advancing their respective national development and addressing global challenges, Xinhua reported.
Both countries should stick to their strategic partnership, adhere to the principles of mutual respect, open cooperation, and mutual learning, strive for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and jointly write the next chapter of healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, Xi added.
President Xi Jinping met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
As permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and major global economies, China and the UK shoulder the responsibility of addressing global challenges.
With broad space for cooperation, the two countries should… pic.twitter.com/k0TdM5Co31
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) November 18, 2024
Xi said that the two countries enjoy vast space for cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, clean energy, financial services, healthcare and people’s well-being, which should be further expanded to better benefit the people of both nations.
China and Britain should promote political solutions to global issues, strengthen global governance on artificial intelligence, and contribute to world economic growth and the common development of all countries, Xi said.
Starmer said that Britain and China share extensive common interests and bear significant responsibilities in addressing global challenges and safeguarding world peace and development. He said that an enduring and strong bilateral relationship is vital not only for the two countries but also for the world at large, Xinhua reported.
Starmer also proposed holding a full bilateral meeting in Beijing or London.
Downing Street said later that the pair agreed that Finance Minister Rachel Reeves should visit Beijing next year “to discuss economic and financial cooperation with her counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng”.
