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Britain and China hail reset in ties as Starmer seeks 'sophisticated' relationship

World News

29-01-2026 | 09:35

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Britain and China hail reset in ties as Starmer seeks 'sophisticated' relationship

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 greater market access, lower tariffs and investment deals.

In the first visit by a British leader in eight years, Starmer agreed 30 days' visa-free access for Britons, discussed lower Chinese tariffs on whisky, and welcomed a $15 billion investment by the UK's AstraZeneca 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 soccer and Shakespeare.

Reuters

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