British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, holding their first extended talks since Starmer took office. The meeting comes as London seeks to stabilise relations with Beijing while pushing for economic gains and cooperation on security-related issues.
Progress on trade and travel
Speaking to reporters after an 80-minute meeting with Xi, Starmer said the two sides had made good progress on reducing tariffs on British whisky and on expanding visa-free travel to China.
“We made some really good progress on tariffs for whisky, on visa-free travel to China, and on information exchange co-operation on irregular migration,” Starmer said, adding that discussions had covered both the scale of tariff reductions and the timeframe for their implementation.
Migration and security cooperation
Starmer said the two leaders discussed information-sharing related to the small boats used in irregular migration to Britain, describing the talks as part of a broader strategic focus on security and defence cooperation.
The issue of irregular migration has been a priority for Starmer, who has pledged to curb small-boat crossings while strengthening international cooperation to disrupt trafficking networks.
Economic aims of China visit
The British leader said the potential reduction in whisky tariffs illustrated his broader ambition to secure “a much wider opening” for British businesses in China. Boosting trade and investment is a key objective of his trip as he seeks to revive Britain’s sluggish economy.
Human rights discussion
Asked whether the case of Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen convicted in December on national security charges, was raised, Starmer said the issue had been discussed in a “respectful” manner during the meeting.
With information from Reuters.
