UK, China pledge cooperation on trade, investment

January 30, 2026 00:00:00

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting in Beijing, China, on Thursday. — Reuters

BEIJING, Jan 29 (Reuters): Britain and China hailed a reset in relations on Thursday, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Xi Jinping pledged greater cooperation on trade, investment and technology to the mutual benefit of both countries.

With Western leaders reeling from the unpredictability of U.S. President Donald Trump, Starmer became just the latest to head to China where he called for a "more sophisticated relationship" with greater market access, lower tariffs and investment deals.

In the first visit by a British leader in eight years, Starmer agreed 30 days' visa-free access for Britons, discussed lower Chinese tariffs on whisky, and welcomed a $15 billion investment by the UK's AstraZeneca into China.

Starmer spent around three hours with Xi at a formal summit and a lunch, during which the pair discussed trade and security, the war in Ukraine, and soccer and Shakespeare.

The British premier held up a plan by AstraZeneca to pioneer new medicines by investing heavily in its Chinese operations as proof of the benefits that could flow to both countries.

But he also said the closer ties would enable Britain to engage in "frank dialogue" when there was disagreement.

Starmer, whose centre-left Labour government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised, has made improving relations with the world's second-largest economy a priority.

That has drawn fierce criticism from some British and U.S. politicians who accuse China of waging industrial levels of espionage while also abusing human rights.

"China is a vital player on the global stage, and it's vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship where we can identify opportunities to collaborate, but of course, also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree," Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting.

Xi said China was ready to develop a long-term partnership with Britain following "twists and turns" in the relationship that did not serve the interests of either country.