BEIJING (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a deeper relationship with China during what he called “challenging times for the world.”The U.K. leader told China’s leader Xi Jinping that their countries need to work together on global stability, climate change and other issues. “I have long been clear that the U.K. and China need a long term, consistent and comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said Thursday in Beijing. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. BEIJING (AP) — The leaders of China and the U.K. were meeting Thursday as the two nations try to improve relations after several years of acrimony.