Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting during his visit to China, in Beijing, China, January 29, 2026. Starmer's visit immediately follows that of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who signed an economic deal with Beijing to tear down trade barriers, drawing Trump's ire. "I made the promise 18 months ago, when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outwards again," Starmer told Xi. But the presence of more ‍than 50 business leaders accompanying Starmer and his itinerary shows the priority for this trip is economic ties. It was time for a "mature" relationship with China, Starmer told ‌a business delegation hours after arriving on Wednesday.