The leaders of China and the U.K. are meeting as the two nations try to improve relations after years of tension

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “vital” to build a “more sophisticated relationship” with China as he kicked off the first visit of a British leader to China in eight years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said relations with the UK had suffered from “twists and turns” that served neither nation, as he welcomed Keir Starmer to Beijing for the first such visit by a British prime minister in eight years.

The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global uncertainty. Neither publicly mentioned Donald Trump,

"We are resolute about being outward-looking, about taking opportunities, about building relationships...and always being absolutely focused on our national interest." For a UK prime minister, the politics of engaging with China is tricky.

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

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that his country would not have to choose between relations with the U.S. and China as he started a four-day trip to China aimed at repairing ties and expanding opportunities for British companies in the world’s second-largest economy.

Sir Keir Starmer told Xi Jinping that he wants a “more sophisticated” relationship with China as the two leaders met in Beijing seeking to patch up ties strained by years of spying scandals and geopolitical tensions.