India, Jan. 30 -- The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global turbulence and uncertainty. Neither Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor President Xi Jinping publicly mentioned Donald Trump, but the US president's challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds.

"I think that working together on issues like climate change, global stability during challenging times for the world is precisely what we should be doing as we build this relationship in the way that I've described," Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting in Beijing.

The two met for 80 minutes - double the scheduled time - in the Great Hall of the Pe...