British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in the Chinese financial center of Shanghai in his bid to boost business opportunities for U.K. firms in the world’s second-largest economy, just hours after President Donald Trump signaled a possible opposition to any deal between Beijing and London.

Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the "politics of poisonous division" of Reform UK, after the party’s candidate in an upcoming by-election received an endorsement from far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The Labour leader’s comments precede a crucial vote in Gorton and Denton, a Greater Manchester constituency that Labour hopes to hold.

Sir Keir Starmer attended talks in Tokyo, saying the relationship between the countries was the "strongest" it has been "in decades".

The Government has already faced strong opposition over plans to repeal immunity provisions in Northern Ireland legacy legislation.

Journalists in the press pack have reported Sir Keir himself is among the officials using a burner phone while in China, with some of them resorting to using a notepad and pen in the absence of tech. But a government source told Metro the decision to take a British Airways jet was simply down to the size of the delegation going along.

Keir Starmer this week leads a delegation of British businesses to China as he tries to rebuild relations with Beijing.

Buffeted by tariffs and trade tensions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer took British business leaders to China and emerged with deals on visas and Scotch whisky, as well as pledges to deepen ties.