China and Britain need to strengthen strategic communication, enhance mutual trust and demonstrate responsibility as major countries, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with the UK prime minister on Thursday.

Wang is visiting London for a strategic dialogue with the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, at which both sides agreed to speed up preparations for institutional dialogues on the economy and trade, health and industrial cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said.

Lammy hosted talks with Wang as the pair revived the China-UK Strategic Dialogue, a bilateral forum that was last held in 2018 before it stalled as relations soured.

Starmer "dropped in" to a meeting between Wang and UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Starmer "underlined his intention to build a consistent and respectful relationship between the UK and China" and "reiterated that the UK will always engage frankly on the areas where our views differ," the spokesperson added.

The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis, with Wang stressing "no expansion of the battlefields, no escalation of hostilities, and no fanning flames."

Wang said China welcomed efforts committed to peace talks and supported the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture.

The Labour government, elected in July, has sought to improve the UK's relationship with Beijing after the two countries fell out during the latter years of Conservative rule.

In a major thawing of tensions, Starmer and President Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit last November - the first bilateral meeting between leaders of the two countries since 2018.

Finance minister Rachel Reeves then visited China last month seeking investment to kickstart growth in Britain's economy, while Lammy visited Beijing in October. (Agencies)