UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is heading to China, seeking a thaw in relations with Beijing at a time of strained ties with the United States.He’s hoping for an economic boost to Britain, but risks the wrath of China hawks at home, and of US President Donald Trump, who’s already heaping tariffs and criticism on America’s closest allies.Starmer is due to meet China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang during the visit to Beijing and Shanghai that starts Wednesday, the first by a UK leader since 2018. He is expected to be accompanied by Business Secretary Peter Kyle and dozens of corporate chiefs as Britain seeks Chinese technology and investment, alongside greater access to the world’s second-largest economy for UK financial services, cars and Scotch whisky.“China is no longer just the world’s factory; it is also becoming a global market,” said Zhao Minghao, a professor in the Institute of International Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan University.The key word stressed by both sides is “pragmatic.” As Trump roils the world order, both London and Beijing are looking for a more stable relationship.China’s government said it sees the visit as an opportunity to enhance political trust and deepen “pragmatic cooperation.”Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, “In the current complex and volatile international situation, it is in the common interest of both peoples of China and the UK, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, to maintain communication and strengthen cooperation.”Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London, said the trip comes as dramatic shifts in geopolitics create new opportunities for UK-Chinese relations.But he said “Starmer is going to be talking to a very sceptical audience. “Britain has not been very consistent in its relations with China. We have been very hot and cold,” Brown said.The relationship has soured since the short-lived “golden era” proclaimed in 2015 by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.No interest in FTA with China: CarneyCanadian PM Mark Carney said Monday some of US President Donald Trump’s threats should be viewed as prepositioning ahead of negotiations to renew the free trade pact between the two large trading partners. Carney noted they are entering a review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement this year. Trump threatened this past weekend to impose a 100% tariff on Candian goods if Ottawa went ahead with a trade deal with Beijing, something Carney said Canada has no interest in.