Prime Minister signals a consistent, pragmatic partnership with China to make UK better off

The Prime Minister has arrived in Beijing with nearly 60 UK business, sport and cultural representatives and is expected to pledge a strategic, consistent relationship with China intended to support UK jobs and trade.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Beijing leading a delegation of nearly 60 British businesses, sports and cultural organisations. He is expected to pledge a strategic, consistent and pragmatic partnership with China aimed at making the UK better off. The government says the relationship will be guided by the UK national interest and will balance cooperation with national security guardrails. The visit includes meetings in Beijing and later engagements in Shanghai before a planned trip to Tokyo. Key points: - The delegation includes leading UK firms and cultural bodies from sectors such as financial services, life sciences and the creative industries. - The government describes China as the world's second-largest economy and the UK's third-largest trading partner, supporting about 370,000 British jobs. - The Prime Minister plans to emphasise stability and clarity in the UK approach, pursuing cooperation where it aligns with national interest while maintaining security safeguards. - He is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, then travel to Shanghai for further business engagements. - The visit follows the 2025 Economic and Financial Dialogue, which the government says secured £600 million in immediate benefits and marked the first UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission since 2018. Summary: The government presents the visit as an effort to provide steadier engagement with China to support UK trade and jobs while retaining national security guardrails. Planned activities during the trip include talks with President Xi and Premier Li in Beijing, engagements in Shanghai, and a subsequent visit to Tokyo.