Xi, Starmer envision growth of ties

When greeting people during the Chinese New Year, it is auspicious to mention the horse, as the animal represents the possibility of "taking the lead like a racing horse".

This metaphor was used by President Xi Jinping in his talks with visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"This coming Chinese New Year will be the Year of the Horse, so I believe your visit is a sign of auspiciousness, and bilateral cooperation surely will get a head start," Xi said in his opening remarks.

Starmer's four-day China visit is the first by a United Kingdom prime minister in eight years. "To my mind, that's been far too long," Starmer told Xi.

To show his determination to reinforce collaboration with China, Starmer mentioned the big delegation traveling with him, which has around 60 representatives from British businesses and cultural organizations that he said "represent the best of Britain".

A Foreign Ministry release said that "both sides agreed that China and the UK should develop a long-term consistent comprehensive strategic partnership".

During the talks, Xi said China is willing to work with the UK to embrace a broad perspective on history, transcend differences, respect each other and translate the great potential of bilateral cooperation into great outcomes for the benefit of both nations and the world.

Mutual trust is the foundation for the stable and long-term development of relations between countries, Xi said, adding that China follows the path of peaceful development and "will never pose a threat to other countries no matter how it grows and develops".

It is China's cultural tradition to value harmony, and it pursues harmony without uniformity, Xi added.

Xi said bilateral economic and trade cooperation is "win-win in nature", and the two countries should carry out joint research and commercialization in fields such as artificial intelligence, bioscience, new energy and low-carbon technologies.

Xi also urged the British side to provide Chinese enterprises with a fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory business environment.

Both China and the UK are major countries with great cultures and have made significant contributions to the development and progress of humanity, Xi said.

The two sides should enhance people-to-people exchanges and further facilitate mutual visits, and Beijing welcomes visits to China by the British government, Parliament and local communities to deepen their comprehensive, objective and accurate perception of China, he added.

He said China is willing to actively consider granting a unilateral visa waiver to British people.

Starmer said London is ready to further high-level exchanges, and step up cooperation in areas from trade to environmental protection and boost exchanges among all walks of life, including legislative bodies.

Starmer told Xi that the UK's long-standing policy on the Taiwan question remains unchanged and will not change.

Hong Kong's prosperity and stability serve the mutual interests of both countries, and the UK welcomes Hong Kong's role as a unique and important bridge between the UK and China, the prime minister added.

Observers said the talks on Thursday served as a clear reminder of how well the two major countries can manage their differences and map out their to-do list in cooperation, and that exchanging sincerity and good faith is key for the ties to keep rebounding and improving.

Feng Zhongping, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, said, "As the relations went through a series of ups and downs over the past few years, Starmer's visit sent a positive signal for the ties' future growth."

Cui Hongjian, a professor of European studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that working on dialogue and cooperation with China is important for Starmer's Labour Party government to help stabilize the British economy and boost public livelihoods, and the two countries' economic need for each other "remains resilient and robust".

Global affairs stood out as a key topic at the meeting, as both China and the UK are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and members of the G20.

Xi pointed out that unilateralism, protectionism and power politics have been raging in recent times, and "the international order has been severely impacted".

Both China and the UK support multilateralism and free trade, Xi said, and they should jointly advocate and practice true multilateralism.

The two countries should promote the establishment of a more just and reasonable global governance system, and achieve an equal and orderly multi-polarization and inclusive globalization, he added.

Amid the current complex and turbulent international landscape, China and the UK "need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation", whether in safeguarding world peace and stability or in promoting economic development and people's livelihoods in both countries, Xi said.

"Major countries in particular should take the lead" in abiding by international law, or otherwise the world will return to the state of a jungle, Xi said.

Starmer said that China plays a pivotal role in international affairs and that the UK stands ready to strengthen cooperation in addressing global challenges such as climate change, as well as in jointly safeguarding world peace and stability.

Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at Fudan University, said, "Starmer's China visit is a part of the European countries' ongoing efforts to get closer to China, seek more opportunities for cooperation featuring stability and recalibrate their position in the evolving multipolar world."

On Thursday, Premier Li Qiang held a welcoming ceremony for Starmer, and the two leaders jointly witnessed the signing of a number of cooperative documents covering areas such as economy and trade, agriculture and food, media, education and market supervision.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, also met with the UK prime minister on Thursday.