Overview
- Keir Starmer wrapped up a four-day trip that included a roughly three-hour meeting with Xi Jinping, presenting economic and political outcomes from talks in Beijing and Shanghai.
- China agreed to halve tariffs on Scotch whisky to 5 percent, with UK officials estimating the change could be worth about £250 million over five years.
- Beijing signaled in-principle visa-free entry for British visitors staying under 30 days, with Chinese officials saying details will be announced after required procedures and no start date yet set.
- Xi agreed to lift Chinese sanctions on six British parliamentarians, while Downing Street cited £2.2 billion in export deals, £2.3 billion in market-access gains over five years, and company moves including AstraZeneca’s US$15 billion China investment through 2030.
- President Donald Trump warned closer UK–China ties were “very dangerous,” as Starmer flew to Tokyo to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for discussions expected to cover defense and economic security.