BEIJING, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Britain and China hailed a reset in relations on Thursday, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Xi Jinping pledged greater cooperation on trade, investment and technology to the mutual benefit of both countries.
With Western leaders reeling from the unpredictability of U.S. President Donald Trump, Starmer became just the latest to head to China, where he called for a “more sophisticated relationship” with improved market access, lower tariffs and investment deals.
Hosting a British leader for the first time in eight years, Beijing agreed to 30 days’ visa-free access for Britons and to halve Chinese tariffs on whisky, while UK drugmaker AstraZeneca announced a $15 billion investment into China.
Starmer spent around three hours with Xi at a formal summit and a lunch, during which the pair discussed trade and security, the war in Ukraine, and also soccer and Shakespeare.
Starmer seeking economic growth
