BEIJING, China: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing on January 29, signalling a breakthrough in ties after years of distrust and acrimony.

Xi greeted Starmer at the Great Hall of the People for a discussion that lasted around 40 minutes, before they lunched together. He will also meet Premier Li Qiang.

Starmer has made improving relations with China one of his priorities, hoping it will yield business opportunities.

"China is a vital player on the global stage, and it is vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship," Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting.

Xi Jinping opened the meeting by saying that China and Britain have had ups and downs that have not helped either country. He said China is ready to build a long-term partnership with Britain.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit is the first by a British leader to China since 2018. It comes at a time when Britain is uneasy with its close ally, the United States, because of President Donald Trump's comments, including threats to seize control of Greenland.

Kerry Brown, a China expert in London, said he expects several business and trade deals to be announced to show that relations between Britain and China are getting better. He said both sides want the visit to look successful and not focus on arguments.

Many European and Western countries are also trying to improve ties with China because they are unsure what the U.S. will do under Trump.

Starmer's trip comes just after Canada's prime minister visited China and signed a trade deal, angering Trump.

China also wants to improve relations and says this is an essential moment for ties with Britain. State media said China wants to build more trust, work more closely with Britain, and help with global peace and stability.

Starmer has changed Britain's approach to China after relations worsened under past Conservative governments, which had limited Chinese investment and criticized China over Hong Kong.

Starmer told Xi that he had promised to make Britain more open to the world again because what happens in other countries affects daily life at home, including food prices and people's sense of safety.

Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said she would not have gone to China because she believes it is a security risk. British intelligence agencies say China spies on the UK government, which China denies.

After arriving, Starmer told business leaders that Britain needs a more realistic and grown-up relationship with China. He later ate at a Chinese restaurant, chatted with staff, and practiced saying "thank you" in Chinese, according to a video shared online.

Downing Street said Starmer and Xi hoped to work together to stop gangs smuggling migrants. The plan includes reducing the use of Chinese-made engines in small boats used to carry migrants across Europe, sharing intelligence on smuggling routes, and working with Chinese factories to stop criminals from misusing legal businesses.

Starmer said he will raise human rights concerns with Xi, including the case of Jimmy Lai, a British citizen jailed in Hong Kong.

However, because more than 50 business leaders are traveling with him and most of his meetings focus on trade, the trip's primary goal is to improve economic relations.