Starmer Meets Xi in Beijing Amidst Global Uncertainty
Beijing, China - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, January 29, 2026, marking the first visit by a British leader to China in nearly a decade. The leaders called for a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to deepen ties between their nations amidst growing global turbulence and uncertainty, according to the Associated Press.
The meeting, held at the Great Hall of the People, aimed to reset relations strained by espionage allegations, disagreements over Hong Kong, and Beijing's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, Euronews reported. Starmer thanked Xi for hosting his delegation, as both countries sought to improve relations.
While neither Starmer nor Xi publicly mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump, the Associated Press noted that his challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds. Starmer sought business deals and a "strategic partnership" to strengthen UK-China relations, according to Euronews.
The meeting occurred against a backdrop of other significant global events. In Iraq, hundreds protested near the U.S. embassy over what they perceived as election interference. Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq's main candidate for the premiership, denounced "blatant interference" by the United States after President Trump threatened to end all support to the country if he was re-elected, Euronews reported. "We categorically reject the blatant American interference in Iraq's internal affairs," al-Maliki stated. The U.S. has held significant sway over Iraqi politics since leading the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Meanwhile, in the United States, SpaceX has been making demands on state governments regarding broadband grants for Starlink. SpaceX said it will provide all necessary equipment to receive broadband at no cost to subscribers requesting service, which will apparently eliminate the up-front hardware fee for Starlink equipment. SpaceX pledged to make broadband available for $80 or less a month, plus taxes and fees, to people with low incomes in the subsidized areas, Ars Technica reported.
In other news, the rise of artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented investment in massive data centers, leading to increased interest in next-generation nuclear power plants as a potential energy source. These plants could be cheaper to construct and safer to operate than their predecessors, according to MIT Technology Review.
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