Cringe moment G20 leaders including Keir Starmer and China's communist autocrat Xi Jinping HOLD HANDS for cheesy 'family photo' in Rio - but walkabout US president Biden is MIA

Keir Starmer joined G20 leaders including China 's Xi Jinping for a cringeworthy 'family photo' at the event in Rio last night - which saw the world's most powerful politicians holding hands.

The PM and the Chinese leader, who has been accused of masterminding a genocide against his country's Muslim minority, lined up with Australia's Anthony Albanese at an anti-poverty event.

It came as the PM faced criticism for wooing Xi at a one-to-one meeting, which coincided with China jailing pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

But outgoing US president Joe Biden was missing from the photo to mark the launch of the Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty, the brainchild of hosts Brazil .

Biden was nowhere to be seen until moments after the picture was taken when photographers and reporters frantically searched for the leader of the free world until one cameraman spotted him behind a nearby palm tree.

Canada 's Justin Trudeau and Italy 's Giorgia Meloni were also missing from the line-up.

But Sir Keir met up with Mr Trudeau later, as they shared a bromantic beer after swapping their suits for jeans and trainers.

As host of this year's G20 meetings, Brazil expanded the group's focus on extreme poverty and hunger, while introducing debate on cooperation to fairly tax the world's wealthiest - topics also highlighted in the leaders' joint statement.

It launched the GAHP on Friday, with an initial 41 participating members pledging to lift 500 million people out of poverty through cash transfers and social protection systems.

The initiative brings together developed nations, NGOs, and financial institutions to donate money and expertise to countries in need. The intention is to remove all nations from the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) hunger map by 2030.

President Xi yesterday praised Labour 's plans for the economy as Sir Keir Starmer pushed for a new 'respectful' relationship with Beijing .

In an extraordinary thawing of relations, he borrowed Labour's favourite slogan to praise Sir Keir for working to 'fix the foundations' of the economy.

President Xi welcomed the Prime Minister's bid to soften Britain's stance, saying there was now a chance to 'break new ground in UK-China relations'.

His intervention came as Sir Keir brushed aside complaints he is ' kowtowing' to the communist superpower by becoming the first British PM to meet President Xi in more than six years .

The two men met amid tight security on the fringes of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Signalling a major reset, the PM immediately suggested a further summit in Beijing or London to discuss rebuilding a relationship shattered by China's crackdown in Hong Kong and vicious human rights abuses against the Uygher people in Xinxiang.

He said Chancellor Rachel Reeves would hold talks with China's vice-president next year in a bid to boost trade.

And he opened the door to a new wave of Chinese investment, which went into reverse under the last government because of fears about China's hostile intentions towards the UK.

Sir Keir has announced a 'relaunch' for trade talks with India after meeting Narendra Modi at the G20 summit .

The PM hailed a new push to agree 'ambitious' terms with the fast-growing economic power following the discussions in Rio.

Sir Keir insisted a deal would support jobs in the UK, with the trading relationship with India worth an estimated £42billion a year.

However, the move will spark questions about whether the premier is ready to make concessions on visas for Indian students and workers - which was the key sticking point previously.

An official readout of the talks in Rio said Sir Keir and Mr Modi agreed to work towards an 'ambitious UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to take the relationship to new heights in trade and investment, security and defence, technology, climate, health and education'.