EN ROUTE TO BEIJING, Jan 28 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening for a visit aimed at strengthening political and business ties with China as relations between Western countries and the U.S. become more volatile.

On the plane to China for the first visit by a British leader since 2018, Starmer said the country cannot afford to ignore the economic opportunities presented by China, the world's second-largest economy, while it must remain vigilant about potential security threats.