UK citizens to get visa-free travel to China after Xi-Starmer meeting

China has added the UK to its visa-free entry policy, allowing British visitors to stay up to 30 days without a visa; the change was announced during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit and follows his meeting with President Xi Jinping.

China has added the UK to its visa-free waiver policy, allowing British visitors to stay up to 30 days without a visa. The announcement came during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing and after his meeting with President Xi Jinping. The change was welcomed by firms including HSBC, KPMG and Standard Chartered and by Business Secretary Peter Kyle. The two governments also agreed to explore a feasibility study on a bilateral services agreement. Key facts: - China now allows UK citizens visa-free entry for trips of up to 30 days for business and tourism. - The announcement was made during Keir Starmer's visit to China, the first UK prime ministerial visit since 2018. - The UK and China have agreed to carry out a feasibility study on whether to pursue a bilateral services agreement. - The visa announcement was welcomed by HSBC, KPMG and Standard Chartered and was accompanied by comments from Business Secretary Peter Kyle about opportunities for UK services. - Sir Keir raised human-rights concerns, including the detention of Jimmy Lai and the treatment of Uyghurs, during talks with President Xi, according to reports. Summary: The change brings the UK into line with almost 50 other countries that already have 30-day visa-free access to China. Officials said they will study a bilateral services agreement; further steps and timelines are undetermined at this time.