Keir Starmer has met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his first visit to China as British Prime Minister, aiming to strengthen ties and boost growth and security. The two leaders discussed how much whisky tariffs would be reduced and over what timeframe, as well as information on small boats used in irregular migration into Britain.
Starmer said the pair made progress on a number of areas, including tariffs and visa-free travel. He stated that China is a vital player on the global stage and that it's vital to build a more sophisticated relationship between the two countries.
Xi Jinping also appeared to reprimand Kemi Badenoch, the British Conservative leader, who has criticized Starmer for traveling to China this week.
The UK and China have agreed to jointly combat gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants. The deal focuses on reducing the use of Chinese-made engines for small boats that transport people across Europe to claim asylum.
Starmer is seeking to inject growth into the UK's sluggish economy and to bring stability and clarity to the bilateral relationship after years of "inconsistency" under the Tories when it went from "golden age to ice age."
Starmer said the pair made progress on a number of areas, including tariffs and visa-free travel. He stated that China is a vital player on the global stage and that it's vital to build a more sophisticated relationship between the two countries.
Xi Jinping also appeared to reprimand Kemi Badenoch, the British Conservative leader, who has criticized Starmer for traveling to China this week.
The UK and China have agreed to jointly combat gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants. The deal focuses on reducing the use of Chinese-made engines for small boats that transport people across Europe to claim asylum.
Starmer is seeking to inject growth into the UK's sluggish economy and to bring stability and clarity to the bilateral relationship after years of "inconsistency" under the Tories when it went from "golden age to ice age."
I'm loving this move by Keir Starmer, man! He's really trying to shake off that 'British isolationist' vibe and get back to being a global player. I mean, China is a massive market and Xi Jinping isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It makes total sense for the UK to be strengthening ties with them, especially when it comes to trade - those whisky tariffs are gonna come down big time! 
And, on a more serious note, tackling gangs involved in trafficking is super important. The UK needs all the help it can get right now, and China's got some serious resources to throw behind this fight.
But seriously, it's about time someone took charge of this bilateral relationship and gave it some much-needed stability. Now let's see how this whole thing plays out! 
. but at the same time, its a big risk taking move, considering how much criticism starmer has faced from conservatives and other ppl over his decision. xi jinping is definitely not going to take this lying down, he's got a reputation for being pretty assertive... what if he uses this as leverage against britain? 
meanwhile, the whole UK-China deal is interesting, but its also super complicated - theres so many factors at play here, like human trafficking and climate change... i dont know if this is going to lead to anything concrete or just more of the same 
It's all about growth and security for Starmer, right? And let's be real, the Tories have been a hot mess when it comes to handling migrants, so they need someone to take the heat off them. 
As for Kemi Badenoch, she was just stirring up drama as usual 
. Xi Jinping knows how to play the game and get what he wants. He's got more influence than we give him credit for. And honestly, who doesn't want a stronger relationship with China? They're not going anywhere. The UK needs all the help it can get right now. 
. Meanwhile, a survey by the BBC found that 62% of Brits think Keir Starmer's visit is a good idea 
The value of trade between the two countries has increased by 25% in just one year! 
. Whether it's due to China or not is still up for debate...
. Can you imagine the tea parties at Downing Street now 
? On a more serious note, though, it's about time the UK got its act together and stopped being a total drama queen when it comes to China 
while the rest of us are still stuck in this economic mess? I mean, what's next? Is he going to start wearing a red jersey and singing the Chinese national anthem at the next PMQs 
. Is Starmer really that clueless about the impact this is going to have on British businesses and citizens? I mean, it's not like he's just going to wave a magic wand and make all our economic problems disappear 
.
another thing, what's with the emphasis on whisky tariffs?! like, who even cares about that? and what's really going to happen to visa-free travel? sounds like we're just caving in to China's demands again... 
this whole trip feels like a PR stunt to me
. also, can we talk about how convenient it is for the Tories to suddenly want to work with China after all those years of... "inconsistency"? 
.
I'm not convinced.