U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he wanted a strong and durable relationship with China Monday as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Brazil .
It was the first time a British leader has met with Xi in recent years as ties between the two countries deteriorated over security and human rights concerns and China's support for Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Starmer, who became prime minister in July after his Labour Party won a landslide election victory, is seeking to repair relations with Beijing. The last time a U.K. leader met with Xi was in 2018.
"We want our relations to be consistent, durable, respectful, as we have agreed and avoid surprises where possible," Starmer told Xi during a meeting on the fringes of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Downing Street said that Starmer wanted a "pragmatic" approach to working with Beijing on global stability, boosting economic ties and especially climate change and the transition to clean energy.
