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Xi Jinping, UK prime minister discuss foreign policy after pint and fish and chips down the pub

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Xi and Cameron sip a pint at a pub near the UK prime minister's country estate, Chequers. Photo: AP

British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed the fight against war and terrorism — and had a drink in a pub — with President Xi Jinping on Thursday during a state visit hailed as a landmark by both nations.

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The two leaders met for talks and dinner at the prime minister’s official country residence, Chequers. Beforehand, Cameron took Xi to a traditional pub nearby for a pint of English ale and a taste of British fish and chips.

A joint statement before the meeting said stronger UK-China ties were of global significance and strategic importance.

The two world leaders, in suits but tieless, could be seen awkwardly sipping their ales at The Plough, an establishment close to the British prime minister’s residence of Chequers northwest of London.

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“I dropped into The Plough at Cadsden for a pint of IPA and some fish and chips with China’s President Xi,” Cameron tweeted afterwards, along with a picture of him talking to Xi in which hunting guns could be seen hanging on the bare-brick wall behind them.

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