On the morning of November 18, 2024 local time, President Xi Jinping met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Xi Jinping noted that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. China and the UK, both as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major economies in the world, share the responsibilities of advancing their respective national development and addressing global challenges. Both sides should stick to the positioning of strategic partnership, adhere to mutual respect, openness and cooperation, and exchanges and mutual learning, strive for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and jointly write the next chapter in the sound and stable development of China-UK relations.

Xi Jinping emphasized that while China and the UK differ in history, culture, values, ideas and social systems, the two countries share extensive common interests. The two sides should adopt a rational and objective perspective on each other's development, strengthen strategic communication and enhance political mutual trust to ensure the steady, substantial and enduring development of China-UK relations. The two countries enjoy vast space for cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, clean energy, financial services, healthcare and people's well-being, which should be further expanded to better benefit the people of both nations. The two sides should promote the political settlement of hotspot issues, strengthen global governance on artificial intelligence, and contribute to advancing world economic growth and achieving the common development of all countries.

Keir Starmer said that the UK and China share extensive common interests and bear significant responsibilities in addressing global challenges and safeguarding world peace and development. An enduring and strong UK-China relationship is vital not only for the two countries but also for the world at large. The UK hopes to strengthen dialogue with China, enhance mutual understanding and carry out exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy and trade, science and technology, finance, health and medical care, education, and climate change response in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and candor. Both the UK and China are committed to multilateralism, and the UK is willing to enhance multilateral communication and coordination with China to push for the political settlement of regional hotspot issues.

Cai Qi and Wang Yi, among others, attended the meeting.