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Chinese Premier Li congratulates new British PM Starmer

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  • Chinese Premier Li congratulates new British PM Starmer
  • July 7, 2024
  • Article Body Text Beijing — <p>Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday congratulated new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his election, state media reported, the first senior leader in Beijing to do so publicly.</p> <p>China is &quot;willing to work with the new U.K. government to consolidate mutual political trust and expand mutually beneficial cooperation,&quot; Li told Starmer, according to state news agency Xinhua.</p> <p>Their call came after days of silence from top officials in Beijing, with the Chinese foreign ministry saying only that it noted the results of the U.K. election. </p> <p>By comparison, Chinese leader Xi Jinping congratulated Iran's incoming President Masoud Pezeshkian just hours after his election Saturday.</p> <p>China was Britain's fifth-largest trading partner as of 2023, according to the U.K. Department for Business and Trade.</p> <p>But diplomatic relations between the two countries have been icy in recent years, with Beijing and London sparring over tightening communist control in former British colony Hong Kong.</p> <p>The two sides have also traded accusations of espionage, with Beijing saying last month that MI6 had recruited Chinese state employees to spy for the U.K.</p> <p>Xinhua reported Sunday that Li told Starmer that the &quot;strengthening of bilateral coordination and cooperation was in the interests of both sides.&quot;</p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date July 7, 2024 18:26 EDT
  • Byline Agence France-Presse
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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