UK's Starmer meets Xi in Beijing as Trump pressures allies on China trade

"In the current turbulent and ever-changing international situation, . . . China and the U.K. need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability," Xi told Starmer at the start of their meeting, the AP reported.

Xi also reportedly said - without mentioning Trump - that "major powers" must abide by international law or the world would become a "jungle," the AP reported.

The U.K. prime minister's remarks at the start of the meeting highlighted China's stance on the world stage and called for a "more sophisticated relationship" between the two nations.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.