US EditionChina’s Xi Jinping, UK’s Keir Starmer agree to deepen economic ties
The UK and China agreed to enhance ties with visa-free travel, trade-in-services talks, and law enforcement cooperation amid efforts to improve relations after years of strain.
- On Jan 29, 2026, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, calling for a `comprehensive strategic partnership` to deepen ties amid global uncertainty during Starmer's four-day visit.
- During a recent meeting, Keir Starmer sought to reset relations with China, which had deteriorated over concerns about spying, support for Russia, and the Hong Kong crackdown, to help Britain’s sluggish economy.
- A bilateral services agreement feasibility study was announced to help British firms, Beijing said it would `actively consider` visa-free entry for UK citizens for visits under 30 days, and U.K. law enforcement will cooperate with Chinese authorities to curb boat engines reaching criminal gangs.
- Starmer, joined by 54 representatives of British businesses and cultural institutions, said talks advanced on tariffs for whisky and migration cooperation, targeting concrete commercial gains.
- Ministers hope the package will help cut Channel crossings by targeting engine suppliers, with 933 crossings so far this year and 65,647 since Sir Keir took office, while the visa start date remains unconfirmed.
153 Articles
153 Articles
Starmer meets Xi: Is the world order being rewritten – or written off?
“I knew it was going to go well when President Xi started talking about his childhood and reading English literature during the Cultural Revolution.” I just bumped into a senior figure in the UK government, and they could not be more pleased with how Keir Starmer’s visit to China has gone so far. The fact he had twice as much face time with Xi than expected, an announcement on visa-free travel, a tariff reduction on whisky and other measures tha…
UK and China establish 'more sophisticated' relationship
The United Kingdom and China are cutting some red tape on travel and imports as both nations seek to counterbalance the mercurial United States, sweeping concerns about Beijing’s conduct under the rug for now. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer played nice with Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he expressed a desire for a “more sophisticated relationship” with the Communist power. …
China’s Xi, UK’s Starmer Pledge Closer Economic Cooperation
Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing was meant to break the ice — and it did more than that. For the first time in eight years, a British prime minister sat down with China’s president and openly talked about resetting relations. The message from both sides? The world is messy, and talking might be better than freezing each other out.Standing in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Starmer said the UK wants a “long-term, consistent and comprehensive” …
Xi Jinping welcomed and held discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two sides announced a shift in their relationship after agreeing to expand cooperation in the economy, investment, and technology.
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