ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Relations between China and the UK deteriorated from 2020 when Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong and cracked down on pro-democracy activists in the former British colony.
Nevertheless, China – the world’s second-largest economy – remains Britain’s third-largest trading partner.
Starmer is accompanied by around 60 business leaders as well as cultural representatives, as his centre-left Labour government looks to fulfil its primary goal of boosting UK economic growth.
British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced during the visit that it would invest US$15 billion in China through 2030, hailing the country as “a critical contributor to scientific innovation”.
Challenges to the bilateral relationship remain.
Starmer told reporters that he had also discussed with Xi the case of Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, 78, who is facing years in prison after being found guilty of collusion charges in December.
“We did have a respectful discussion about that,” Starmer said, adding that he and Chinese leaders also talked about the treatment of Uyghurs.
