British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed progress on lowering tariffs with China, arguing for a “more sophisticated” relationship after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Starmer is the latest in a string of Western leaders to visit recently, a sign of Beijing winning over US allies put off by Washington’s unpredictability and protectionism, according to Western analysts. The UK leader, by contrast, has portrayed himself as a “pragmatist applying common sense.”
Like the Canadian leader before him and Germany’s due next month, however, he is trying to maintain a tricky balance, wary of angering Washington and suspicious of Beijing’s intentions, while aiming to boost growth and gain greater access to the world’s second-biggest economy.
