Starmer arrives in Shanghai to boost business opportunities

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai on Friday in his bid to boost business opportunities for British firms in the world’s second-largest economy, just hours after US President Donald Trump signalled a possible opposition to any deal between Beijing and London. Starmer, the centre-left Labour leader, has brought more than 50 business leaders on his trip to China, the first by a UK prime minister in eight years.

He started his trip in Beijing, where he met with Chinese leaders including Xi Jinping. The two pledged to pursue a long-term and stable strategic partnership, in what was seen as a sign of improving ties after several years of friction between the two countries.In Washington, Trump suggested that he may oppose any deal, and then pivoted to Canada, with which he has had a series of sharp exchanges since Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China earlier this month.