British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (center) is shown around Yuyuan Garden by vice president of Yuyuan Inc. Hu Junjie (right), on January 30, 2026 in Shanghai, China. Photo: VCG

On a rainy Friday afternoon reminiscent of British drizzling weather, the Global Times reporters caught up with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was visiting Shanghai, at around 4:30 pm on Friday in the city's iconic scenic spot, the Yuyuan Garden.

Yuyuan Garden, a classical garden that ranks as one of the must-see attractions in Huangpu district, Shanghai, was among the major stops of Starmer's Shanghai visit. Starmer arrived in Shanghai on Friday's afternoon to continue his four-day trip to China and Shanghai is his second stop of the trip. 

Starmer was accompanied by a sizeable entourage at Yuyuan Garden, the Global Times noticed at the scene. The Yuyuan Garden was not entirely closed to the public that day, and some tourists could still be seen in the video footage recorded by the reporters.

During his visit to Yuyuan Garden, Starmer also sampled a classic Shanghai delicacy - the butterfly pastry - nearby Zigzag Bridge, according to online videos and media reports. 

Just hours before he touched down in Shanghai, Starmer had called this trip to China a historic one at a China-UK business forum held at the headquarters of China Bank in Beijing's downtown. 

"I fundamentally believe that the more we engage, the more we exchange, the more we take advantage of the opening of access to opportunities, business, art, and culture, and so many others, then that is the way that we build the mutual trust and respect that is so important," Starmer said at the forum. 

Starmer met Chinese business leaders, such as Yin Tongyue, chief executive of carmaker Chery, which is planning to open a research and development center for its commercial vehicle arm in the English city of Liverpool, according to Reuters. 

At the closing ceremony of the 2026 China-UK Business Council meeting in Beijing on Thursday, Starmer echoed the Chinese phrase "Pursue common goals whilst reserving differences" and hailed the building of a long-term, consistent comprehensive strategic relationship with China.

Also at the same council meeting, Starmer cited a Chinese proverb about blind men being presented with an elephant. "One touches the leg and thinks it's a pillow, another feels the belly and thinks it's a wall," he went on, the Guardian reported. 

"And too often this reflects how China is seen. But I profoundly believe that broader and deeper engagement … is our way of seeing the whole elephant and therefore building a more sophisticated relationship fit for these times," he was quoted as saying in the report.

Starmer's interactions with people in Shanghai and the business community in Beijing on Friday came after he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, during which they agreed that the two countries should develop a long-term, consistent comprehensive strategic partnership, Xinhua reported. 

The two sides reached a series of significant outcomes aimed at restarting and deepening bilateral ties, which included the resumption of the China-UK High-Level Security Dialogue, the convening of a new round of the China-UK Strategic Dialogue and Economic and Financial Dialogue, and the holding of a China-UK Entrepreneurs Committee meeting. The Chinese side is also actively considering implementing a unilateral visa-free policy for British citizens.

In addition, the two sides signed 12 inter-governmental cooperation documents covering fields such as economy and trade, agriculture and food security, culture, and market regulation.

Visit in spotlight 

Starmer's high-stakes visit to China, the first by a British prime minister since 2018, was closely watched internationally. 

Speaking to Fox News while traveling to Florida for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's documentary, Trump was asked about the UK "getting into business with China."

"Well, it's very dangerous for them to do that," Trump said, per Fox News. Trump also claimed that China was not the solution for Western economies, the report added.

But in the interview, Trump also mentioned he "knows China very well," according to the report. 

Starmer said on Friday it would be foolish for Britain not to engage with China, rejecting the assertion from Trump that it was dangerous to get into business with Beijing, Reuters reported. 

"It would be foolhardy to simply say we will ignore (China)," Starmer told the BBC in an interview in Shanghai, highlighting French President Emmanuel Macron's recent visit and a planned trip by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

"For the UK to be the only country that refuses to engage would not be in our national interest," he said, Reuters reported. 

Earlier, Downing Street also indicated that Washington had been aware of this trip and its objectives in advance, per BBC News.

UK business minister Sir Chris Bryant said Trump was "wrong" and it would be "bonkers frankly for the UK to ignore the presence of China on the world stage".

The UK has to be "clear eyed" about its relationship with China, Bryant said.

In response to a question about Trump's claims, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "China stands ready to enhance cooperation with other countries in a win-win spirit to benefit the people of all countries."

Downing Street's reaction demonstrates UK's current clear and sound strategic vision toward China, Zhao Junjie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Bryant's response conveyed a message that the US administration's reckless policies have led an increasing number of its allies, including the UK, to lose confidence in the US, Zhao said.  

Over the past two months, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo have successively visited China, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also expressed a desire for a trip. The Guardian noted that "Trump's tantrums push US allies closer to Beijing."

Having long been suppressed by the US, these European countries have finally recognized the essence of its unilateralism when they reached a tipping point, Zhao said, adding that these countries also began to realize that they need Chinese market and the stability and certainty provided by the country are very important. 

"I think we're entering a really important era for China, UK relationships. It's a partnership based on opportunities for both countries," Andrew Lewis, Chief Executive of Liverpool City Council, told the Global Times on Friday at the business forum. 

This visit has produced fruitful outcomes, which demonstrate the breadth and depth of cooperation between the two countries, Guo, spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told on Friday. 

Through the visit, China stands ready to work with the UK to implement the important common understandings between the two leaders, see history from a broader perspective, rise above differences, respect each other, jointly develop a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UK for the good of both peoples and the whole world, Guo said.