Overview
- Keir Starmer held talks with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, after meeting senior official Zhao Leji, with talks with Premier Li Qiang to follow before a Shanghai stop through January 31 and a brief visit to Japan.
- The UK says discussions focus on trade, investment and national security, with Britain and China set to sign a cooperation agreement targeting supply chains used by migrant smugglers.
- The prime minister is traveling with roughly 60 business and cultural leaders as London seeks fresh commercial opportunities and explores reviving high-level business dialogue between UK and Chinese firms.
- London’s recent approval of a large new Chinese embassy in London removed a sticking point in ties, with the government saying security agencies have plans to manage risks.
- Starmer is expected to raise human rights concerns including the case of British national Jimmy Lai, as he reiterates that the UK will not trade economic access for its national security during a period of strained ties with the United States under President Donald Trump.