Xi Jinping welcomed and met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Both sides announced a shift in their relationship mode after agreeing to expand cooperation in economics, investment, and technology.
On 29 January 2026, foreign news agencies reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Sir Keir Starmer. Both parties announced plans to restore their relationship and promote cooperation in trade, investment, and technology for mutual benefit.
Starmer emphasized that the UK seeks to build a "more complex and balanced" relationship with China, focusing on both cooperative opportunities and opening dialogue on differences. Xi Jinping stated that China is ready to develop long-term cooperation with the UK after recent fluctuations in their relationship.
. This meeting marked the first official visit by a UK leader to China in eight years. China agreed to allow British citizens to enter without a visa for up to 30 days and cut import tariffs on whisky from the UK by half.
Additionally, AstraZeneca announced plans to invest $15 billion, or over 500 billion baht, in China to develop medicines and expand its operations in the country.
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