UK PM urges ‘mature approach’ to China ahead of meeting Prez Xi

Keir Starmer pledged in Beijing to seek a more “mature” relationship with China, as he prepared to meet President Xi Jinping on the first such trip by a British prime minister in eight years.Starmer told a delegation of some 60 leaders of British businesses and cultural institutions that the UK has a responsibility to repair ties with world’s second-largest economy. He called on the group to make the most of the opportunity to extend their reach in Asia. “It is in our national interest to engage with China,” Starmer said Wednesday, shortly after arriving in Beijing. “Of course, we will have to manage our differences. That’s what you do with a mature approach.” Starmer is expected to meet Xi on Thursday. He’ll travel to Tokyo later to meet Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi, who is currently locked in her own diplomatic standoff with Xi.Xinhua News Agency separately hailed Starmer’s arrival as a “pivotal moment,” while urging the UK to adopt policies free from external influence.