UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China marks a significant shift in international relations, as noted by Al Jazeera on February 1, 2026, which described the visit as 'not a reset, but a new way forward' in the context of a changing global order. Starmer's visit, the first by a British Prime Minister in eight years, was aimed at improving UK-China relations, which had been strained in recent years. According to Al Jazeera on January 29, 2026, Starmer emphasized the need for a 'more sophisticated relationship' with China, focusing on collaboration and dialogue on contentious issues. The visit included an 80-minute summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they discussed economic cooperation, including tariff cuts on British whisky, as reported by BOL News on January 29, 2026.