Laura Bicker

China is feeling confident. They're watching this parade of world leaders arrive on their doorstep. From France, from Germany next month, from Canada, from South Korea, from Finland and now the UK. These are traditional US allies now finding a way to overcome their differences with Beijing. And I think what China is trying to do is use its status as the world's factory with its manufacturing prowess.

to kind of galvanize power and influence on the world stage. So that is how it's kind of portraying it, not just to the leaders arriving, but also to its domestic audience. I've just been watching the flagship bulletin here in China.

They spent 18 minutes of their 30-minute bulletin on Sir Keir Starmer's visit. That's extraordinary. So it's not just being sold to the world as China's doing deals while Donald Trump threatens tariffs. It's also being shown to its own population that China is having a new prestige in the world. Laura Booker. Meanwhile, China says it's executed 11 people linked to online scam operations in Myanmar.

China believes the UK is too close to the United States and simply follows Washington when it comes to foreign policy.

So this visit for them is partly about the optics, about the prestige of showing images of a British prime minister, a key US ally, touring the Forbidden City and meeting Xi Jinping.

The UK is not one of China's top trading partners.

But officials still see London as an important financial heartland and will be keen to do a deal.

China is using its status as the factory of the world to draw Western countries a little closer.

What inspired you to try and track down everybody in the old school photograph in the first place?

What inspired you to try and track down everybody in the old school photograph in the first place?

What inspired you to try and track down everybody in the old school photograph in the first place?

You're a braver man than I am, Alistair, because you wanted to cheer your dad up. It could have gone really badly wrong. He could have been the last man standing.

You're a braver man than I am, Alistair, because you wanted to cheer your dad up. It could have gone really badly wrong. He could have been the last man standing.

You're a braver man than I am, Alistair, because you wanted to cheer your dad up. It could have gone really badly wrong. He could have been the last man standing.

He sounds really fit and strong, and so does Betty.

He sounds really fit and strong, and so does Betty.

He sounds really fit and strong, and so does Betty.

Are they keeping in touch? Are they going to stay in touch?

Are they keeping in touch? Are they going to stay in touch?

Are they keeping in touch? Are they going to stay in touch?