BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday congratulated the UK’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his election, state media reported.
According to the state news agency Xinhua, Premier Li conveyed China’s readiness to collaborate with the new UK government in enhancing mutual political trust and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.
The congratulatory message from Beijing came after several days of silence from top Chinese officials, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry previously acknowledging the UK election results without further comment.
In their conversation, Premier Li emphasized that strengthening bilateral coordination and cooperation would serve the interests of both nations. China and the UK maintain a significant economic relationship, with China ranking as the UK’s fifth-largest trading partner as of 2023, according to the UK Department for Business and Trade data.
Xinhua on Sunday said Li told Starmer that the “strengthening of bilateral coordination and cooperation was in the interests of both sides.”
