British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits the Forbidden City during his visit to China, on January 29, 2026 in Beijing, China. Photo: VCG

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said relationship with China is "in a good place, a strong place" in Forbidden City on Thursday.

Asked for his reaction to those in the UK who might feel squeamish about the PM having a close relationship with China, he responded: "What I say to everybody here is that, I always act in our national interest."

"I know that, whatever's going on in the world, the most important thing, to the vast majority of people is the cost of living," said Starmer.

"So opening up access to business opportunities, seizing those opportunities which then get reflected in better businesses, in jobs and price reductions at home, really, really matter. And so we made real progress on all of those areas," Starmer noted, per Sky News.

Starmer said UK's relationship with China is in a "good, strong place", per BBC.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Beijing on Thursday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Posted on X on Thursday, Starmer wrote that "Growth at home is directly linked to our engagement with the world's biggest powers. Today I met with President Xi in Beijing. We affirmed our shared commitment to building a long-term and strategic partnership that will benefit both our countries, while maintaining frank and open dialogue on areas of disagreement."