Chinese Premier Li extends congratulations to new British PM Starmer

• This follows days of silence from top officials in Beijing, who only noted the UK election results.
•  Xi Jinping congratulated Iran’s incoming president Masoud Pezeshkian shortly after his election.
• Li Qiang emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral coordination and cooperation.

On Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang publicly congratulated new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his election, according to state media. Li told Starmer that China is “willing to work with the new UK government to consolidate mutual political trust and expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” as reported by the state news agency.

Their call followed days of silence from top officials in Beijing, with the Chinese foreign ministry merely noting the results of the UK election.

In contrast, Chinese leader Xi Jinping congratulated Iran’s incoming president Masoud Pezeshkian just hours after his election on Saturday.

According to the UK Department for Business and Trade, China ranked as Britain’s fifth-largest trading partner as of 2023. However, diplomatic relations between the two countries have been tense in recent years, with Beijing and London engaging in disputes over the tightening of communist control in the former British colony of Hong Kong.

Last month, Beijing accused MI6 of recruiting Chinese state employees to spy for the UK, while both sides have traded espionage accusations. On Sunday, Xinhua reported that Li told Starmer that strengthening bilateral coordination and cooperation was in the interests of both sides.

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