Keir Starmer hails trade and investment deals from China trip

Sir Keir Starmer concluded a three-day visit to China that Downing Street said secured £2.2 billion in export deals and further market access, and Chinese firms pledged investments including Pop Mart's plan to open UK stores.

Sir Keir Starmer is concluding a three-day visit to China that Downing Street presented as focused on trade and re-engagement. He travelled with more than 50 representatives of British businesses and cultural institutions. Officials described several commercial and cultural arrangements agreed during the trip. The visit also included political discussions and meetings with senior Chinese figures. Key facts: - Downing Street said the visit secured £2.2 billion in export deals and market access worth a further £2.3 billion over the next five years, along with hundreds of millions of pounds of investment from Chinese companies. - Pop Mart, maker of the Labubu toy, pledged to open seven stores in the UK, including a flagship outlet on London's Oxford Street, with Birmingham and Cardiff also named as locations. - Car manufacturer Chery announced it would establish its European headquarters in Liverpool. - The trip included an announcement that Chinese tariffs on whiskey would be halved, reported as worth about £250 million to the UK over five years, and officials said an agreement on visa-free travel for British nationals had been reached though details are not yet confirmed. - President Xi Jinping reportedly agreed to lift Chinese sanctions on six British parliamentarians during discussions. Summary: The visit produced a series of commercial and cultural announcements that officials presented as benefits for UK businesses and market access. Political outcomes included the reported lifting of sanctions on six British parliamentarians, while human rights concerns were noted as unresolved by some UK figures. Sir Keir is scheduled to meet senior local Chinese Communist Party officials in Shanghai before returning home via Japan for a working dinner with Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi.