The day delivered several concrete outcomes:

• China announced visa-free travel for British citizens for stays under 30 days, aimed at strengthening business and cultural ties.
• The whisky tariff will be reduced from 10% to 5%, worth an estimated £250 million over five years to UK exporters.
• Ten government-to-government agreements were signed, including a Joint Feasibility Study for a UK-China Trade in Services Agreement, alongside cooperation on finance, education, health, standards, and food safety.

Starting the day, the Prime Minister and President Xi held the first UK-China leader meeting since 2018. The two sides agreeing to increase dialogue, work together on global security, and expand cooperation in trade, investment, finance, the environment, education, healthcare, AI, life sciences, and low-carbon technologies. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Starmer stated it was a “very good productive session with real, concrete outcomes” and established “a real strengthening of the relationship.”

During his afternoon meeting with Premier Li Qiang, the PM stated “we want to build a consistent, long-term, comprehensive strategic partnership with China.”  Premier Li stated “the Chinese government is committed to providing a good environment for enterprises all over the world, including British companies, to invest in China.” 

The PM and Premier Li also spoke at the 2026 UK-China Business Council, for which CBBC was honoured to be appointed secretariat for the UK council members, alongside the China International Contractors Association (CHINCA), secretariat for the Chinese council members.

• Starmer stated that “with broader and deeper engagement” we can build “a more sophisticated relationship fit for these times.”
• Premier Li stated that economic growth under the 15th Five-Year Plan will “provide huge space for Sino-British cooperation”, with “huge potential” for enterprises from both countries. 

On the delegation side, AstraZeneca confirmed £10.9 billion in investment in China up to 2030, focusing on medicine manufacturing and R&D. CEO Pascal Soriot stated the investment “begins an exciting next chapter for AstraZeneca in China, which has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation, advanced manufacturing, and global public health”, while the PM welcomed the announcement’s support for thousands of British jobs.

CBBC will provide additional updates throughout the rest of the visit.