Beijing: China and the UK should 'rise above disagreements' and 'broaden' the cooperation agenda, Chinese President Xi Jinping told new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during their first phone call on Tuesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, after congratulating Burnham on his election, Xi stated that China and the UK 'enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership.' He emphasized that despite having different social systems and national conditions, the two countries share more common interests than disagreements. Xi urged both nations to respect and trust each other, overcome disagreements, find common ground, and expand their mutually beneficial cooperation agenda.

During the conversation, Xi highlighted that Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, had described bilateral ties as 'vital' during his visit to Beijing earlier this year. Starmer's visit marked the first by a British prime minister to China since 2018, and Burnham succeeded him in July this year.

The historical context was also noted during the discussion, as the UK was the 'first major Western country to recognize' Beijing in 1950. The two nations upgraded their ties to a 'comprehensive strategic partnership' in May 2004, as per the Chinese Foreign Ministry. With annual bilateral trade reaching £134.7 billion ($182 billion) last year, the two sides have established high-level dialogue mechanisms, including the Annual Prime Minister's Meeting, Economic and Financial Dialogue, Strategic Dialogue, and High-Level People-to-People Dialogue.