By Isabel Kua and Marie HeuclinBritain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed “really good progress” on issues including visa-free travel and tariffs during talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on January 29, 2025. Starmer told Xi that China is a “vital player on the global stage” and that they needed to “build a more sophisticated relationship where we identify opportunities to collaborate”. Starmer will also travel to economic powerhouse Shanghai on Friday before making a brief stop in Japan to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “We did have a respectful discussion about that,” Starmer said, adding that he and Chinese leaders also talked about the treatment of Uyghurs.