President Xi Jinping told Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer their countries must strengthen ties to counter geopolitical headwinds, as the leaders met in Beijing on Thursday.

This is the first visit to China by a UK prime minister since 2018 and follows a slew of Western leaders seeking support from Beijing recently, pivoting from an increasingly unpredictable United States.

Xi held talks with Starmer at the Great Hall of the People.

He said the China-UK relationship in recent years had seen "twists and turns that did ⁠not serve the interests of our countries" and that more ‍dialogue was imperative.

"The current international situation is complex and intertwined. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major global economies, China and the UK need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation," he said.

He said that China stands ready to develop a long-term and consistent strategic partnership with the UK.

Xi added that leaders should not shy away from difficulties and should press ahead with fortitude.

He said China and the UK should take a broad perspective, rise above differences and respect each other.

Starmer for his part agreed that it is vital to develop the relationship between their two countries.

"China is a vital player on the global stage and it's vital to build a more sophisticated relationship where we identify opportunities to collaborate, but also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree," Starmer said. (Additional reporting by AFP)