British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a meeting in Beijing on Thursday. Neither Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor President Xi Jinping publicly mentioned President Trump, but Trump’s challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds. Xi appeared to acknowledge the criticism that Starmer has faced for reaching out to China despite national security and human rights concerns. Britain is also keen to get more access to the vast Chinese market for U.K. professional and financial services. Starmer is the fourth leader of a U.S. ally to visit Beijing this month, following those of South Korea, Canada and Finland.

Source: The Times January 29, 2026 15:15 UTC