UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in China for a three-day visit

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in Beijing for a four-day state visit seeking a thaw in relations with the world's second-largest economy.

His visit was the first by a British prime minister since Theresa May in 2018, and follows that of Canadian leader Mark Carney earlier this January.

Keir Starmer's flight landed in a Beijing airport this afternoon.

He is slated to meet with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and China's top legislator Zhao Leji during his stay in the capital city before departing for Shanghai.

A delegation of two ministers and more than 50 corporate chiefs including representatives from HSBC, GSK and Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, are joining Starmer on the visit.

Starmer said on the plane that it is in Britain's interests to engage with China through candid dialogue and make some real progress, including in areas of disagreement.

He said the country cannot afford to ignore the economic opportunities presented by China, while stressing it must remain vigilant about potential security threats.

Earlier, Starmer told his Cabinet that they had veered from "the golden age to the ice age" in relations with Beijing, yet he would follow "a strategic and consistent strategy."

Reports say he's eyeing deepened cooperation in sectors of creative industries and life sciences, among others, in a bid to guarantee Britain greater access to China's markets for its financial services, luxury cars and Scotch whisky.

Lauding the sound and steady development of the two countries' economic relations, the commerce ministry in Beijing said they are expected to ink trade and investment cooperation agreements that will foster new growth drivers.

The ministry has pledged to work with British authorities to implement the leaders' important consensus, create a fair and transparent environment under the rule of law and strengthen communication on economic and trade policies.

Meanwhile, a foreign ministry spokesperson pointed out the visit is an opportunity to forge political trust and deepen pragmatic cooperation amid the current complex and volatile international situation.