Chinese President Xi Jinping urged new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to "protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese investors" during their first phone call since Burnham took office, following a dispute over the nationalisation of British Steel. The plant, formerly owned by China's Jingye Group, was brought into public ownership by Keir Starmer's government in July to safeguard steel production and supply chains, prompting Beijing to declare itself "strongly dissatisfied" and Jingye to demand compensation. The call signals China's intent to press the issue with the new premier while both sides publicly emphasised continued cooperation.

According to China's Foreign Ministry readout, Xi said Britain and China had "more common interests than disagreements" and called for mutual trust and broader cooperation. Downing Street's account said the two leaders affirmed a "long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership" and discussed economic growth, while Burnham said he raised domestic security, Russia's war in Ukraine, Hong Kong, human rights and consular cases, including that of imprisoned British citizen Jimmy Lai. The approach echoes Starmer's earlier strategy of engaging pragmatically with Beijing—he became the first British PM to visit China since 2018 during a January trip—despite pressure from within Labour to take a tougher stance on issues such as the treatment of Uighurs.