Keir Starmer has met the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday for historic talks he hopes will deepen economic ties at a time when some inside government fear the US is no longer a reliable partner. They pointed out that Trump met Xi in October and planned to visit China in April. After a speech in London, the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she would not visit China “at this time” if she were in charge. Since taking office, Starmer has pursued a policy towards China which has been more open to engagement, while also cautious. Asked about the implications of Mingyang, China’s biggest offshore wind company, potentially being allowed to supply turbines for windfarms in the UK, Starmer refused to add further comment.