UK PM on official visit to China

2026-01-29 - 03:23

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrived in Beijing on Wednesday (Jan. 29) for an official visit to China through Saturday. Starmer’s visit marks the first visit to China by a British prime minister in eight years. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with him. Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Zhao Leji will hold talks and meet with him respectively for in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern. The visit follows previous high-level exchanges that have set a positive trajectory for China-Britain relations. President Xi had a phone call with Prime Minister Starmer in August 2024, followed by their meeting during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November, which helped guide the relationship toward improvement and development. China and Britain are important trade partners to each other, with bilateral trade in goods reaching 103.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. Trade in services is expected to exceed 30 billion U.S. dollars, and the stock of two-way investment was nearly 68 billion U.S. dollars that year. The British prime minister is accompanied by a delegation of executives from over 50 major British companies and representatives from institutions in key sectors such as finance, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, culture, and creative industries, indicating the British side’s anticipation of deepening bilateral economic and trade relations. Apart from Beijing, Starmer will also visit Shanghai. According to a press release issued by the UK government earlier this week, Starmer has pledged that his official visit to China will benefit the British people and businesses by establishing “a more strategic and consistent relationship” with China. The announcement emphasized that “engagement with China is vital for the British people.” As one of the world’s most influential countries, China’s substantial growth has a notable impact on the lives of British citizens. China is the world’s second-largest economy and plays a crucial role in global supply chains. Furthermore, it is the UK’s third-largest trading partner, supporting 370,000 jobs in the UK. “In a time of growing global instability, where events abroad continue to rebound on people at home, the Prime Minister has promised to act in the UK’s national interest,” said the press release. (Pic : Xinhua)