China to relax travel rules for British visitors, UK says

China has agreed to allow British citizens to travel to the country for up to 30 days without a visa, Downing Street has said.

The announcement came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping in Beijing, as he became the first British leader to visit the country in eight years.

The trip also saw an agreement to cut import taxes on UK whisky from 10% to 5%, as the government seeks closer trade ties with Beijing to help boost economic growth.

However, critics have argued the UK should have a more cautious relationship with China because of the risk to national security and the country's human rights record.

There is no date for when the visa agreement will be in force but the government is hoping this will happen as soon as possible.

Hundreds of thousands of Britsh people could potentially benefit from the change, with around 620,000 travelling to China in 2024 according to the Office for National Statistics.

Downing Street said it would bring the UK into line with 50 other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan.

Sir Keir said the move would make it easier for businesses to expand in China, while people would also be able to go on holiday there without a visa.

"As one of the world's economic powerhouses, businesses have been crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China," he said.

"We'll make it easier for them to do so – including via relaxed visa rules for short-term travel – supporting them to expand abroad, all while boosting growth and jobs at home."

Downing Street said the UK and China had also agreed to explore whether to enter negotiations on a services agreement, which would establish clear and legally binding rules for UK firms doing business in China.

The UK is the world's second largest exporter of services – including in finance, healthcare and legal services - and No 10 said demand from China in the area was growing.

It said an agreement would open up Chinese markets for businesses, for example by enabling recognition of UK professional qualifications.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will invest $15bn (£10.9bn) in China up to 2030, establishing new manufacturing sites and expanding its workforce in the country.

Speaking after his meeting with President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing - which lasted around an hour and 20 minutes - Sir Keir said the pair had discussed how "huge opportunities" in China could benefit people in the UK.

He said the pair had also made "good progress" on cooperation over illegal migration.

Under an agreement signed on Thursday, Downing Street said UK and Chinese law enforcement would cooperate to disrupt the supply of small boat engines and equipment used by criminal gangs to help migrants cross the Channel.

Last year more than 60% of engines used by smuggling gangs were found to be branded as Chinese-manufactured.

The deal is among 10 agreements signed between the two countries, covering areas including exports, education and food safety.

The prime minister said he had also raised contentious issues including the jailing of pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai and the treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.

"Part of the rationale for engagement is to make sure that we can both seize the opportunities that are available, which is what we've done, but also have a mature discussion about issues that we disagree on," he added.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "Keir Starmer has gone to Beijing to kowtow to President Xi, in the hope to get a few economic crumbs from President Xi's table, to make up for the catastrophic handling of the economy, and he's trading off our national security in order to do that."

He added that the deal on small boats was a "gimmick" that would make no difference to crossings.

Sir Keir has travelled to Beijing with a delegation of British business and cultural leaders.

At the start of his meeting with Xi, the PM said he wanted a "more sophisticated" relationship with China.

Stressing the benefits of closer ties for people in the UK, he said: "Events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, from prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel."

Meanwhile, President Xi said UK-China relations had gone through "some twists and turns that did not serve the interests of our countries".

He argued dialogue between the UK and China was "imperative" in a "turbulent and fluid" world.

He praised previous Labour governments for making "important contributions to the growth of China-UK relations" and told Sir Keir the two men would "stand the test of history" if they could "rise above differences".

Following the meeting, as a gift, Sir Keir gave President Xi a football used during last weekend's Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal.

The PM is a keen Arsenal fan, while the president reportedly supports Manchester United.

President Xi gifted Sir Keir a copper statue of a horse, while Chinese Premier Li Qian gave the prime minister three kinds of flutes.

The visit has been criticised by opposition parties, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch saying she would not be going to China at this time if she was PM.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said Sir Keir's approach was "all give and no take".

"Many British firms and universities want Chinese business but the British public also wants to know the PM is standing up for our national security," he said.