Image source, Reuters

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier today, where they agreed a number of deals.

Starmer said the meeting, which lasted one hour and 20 minutes, was productive with "real concrete outcomes".

Here's what has been announced:

• UK citizens visiting China on business or as tourists will be able to travel visa-free for trips under 30 days
• This brings the UK in line with other countries including France, Germany and Austria
• Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will invest $15bn (£10.9bn) in China until 2030 - here's what it includes
• But despite the fanfare, there are no economic game changers so far, our deputy economics editor writes

• The PM says his visit to China is "not the last moment, it is a springboard into a future with far more action to come"
• But it has attracted criticism from opposition politicians, including shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns who said the PM should not have gone without a "precondition" for the release of pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai

• We've compiled a list of the ten deals the government says have been signed today, but the details of what's included remain unclear

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

We don't yet know when visa-free travel for anyone visiting China from the UK for under 30 days kicks in.

Under the existing system, anyone applying for a visa must do so online and then go in person to a China application centre in London, Manchester, Belfast or Edinburgh, according to the UK government's foreign travel advice.

There, your fingerprints may be scanned and you may have your photo taken, the advice adds.

Someone must submit an application on behalf of anyone aged 13 and under, or 71 and over.

Costs for UK applicants start from £130 including service fees for a two-year visa, a graphic on the Chinese Visa Application Center website shows.

There are higher charges for 5-year and 10-year visas. All are available by regular, express or urgent services.

But Brits do not need a visa to visit the tropical island of Hainan in the south of China.

Tourist and business visas do not allow UK citizens to work in China - you can only work if you have a work visa - and anyone travelling to China must have at least six months left on their passport from the date they arrive in the country and two blank pages for visas and stamping, the foreign travel advice adds.

China is playing the long diplomatic gamepublished at 11:42 GMT

11:42 GMT

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

The Chinese president framed his meeting with Sir Keir Starmer not just in terms of what it meant for business between the UK and China - but what it meant in global terms.

For President Xi, these visits by western leaders from Canada, France and now the UK, all looking to reset their relationship with China, are taking part at a time when western alliances are being strained by an unpredictable US president who continues to threaten his partners with trade tariffs.

Xi described the state of the world as "turbulent and fluid" and said that he believed talks between the two nations was imperative for the sake of world peace and stability.

China is playing a long diplomatic game here to try to restore its historical status as a global power in the hope that it can soon rival US influence.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat says Starmer "handed over all his cards" before turning up in Beijing.

The Conservative MP, who has long been a critic of China, says over the last 10 years he has seen jobs and intellectual property being stolen by China, and points to human rights abuses that Beijing is accused of.

"We need to stand up for Britain today," he tells BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We don’t spy to steal technology like this, we don’t spy to get ahead like this. The British government defends British interests and British vales. What it doesn’t do is act like some global bandit stealing ideas."

Tugendhat was one of several MPs who was sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 for his stance on China.

Fanfare surrounds deals, but no economic game changers so farpublished at 11:13 GMT

11:13 GMT

Dharshini David
Deputy economics editor

With China already the UK’s fourth biggest trading partner, there’s much fanfare surrounding the deals unveiled during the first visit by a British PM in eight years. But does what we've seen so far move the economic dial?

Some of it appears to play to the UK's strengths, in particular the $15bn (£10.9bn) investment by AstraZeneca - pharmaceuticals make up the UK's second biggest goods export to China.

Meanwhile, there's the "feasibility study" to explore whether to enter negotiations towards bilateral services announcement.

About half of what the UK sells China are services and there are theoretically gains to be had on both sides - in areas such as technology and banking - but there will inevitably be concerns over national security and espionage.

We await to hear what else may be on the table, but the deals are expected to be relatively piecemeal (and some, as ever, may have been announced before). China accounts for less than 1% of total foreign investment in the UK.

So in economic terms this will not be a game changer, but that in part will be deliberate - due to caution, not just about a higher-risk trading partner - but also the potential reaction of US President Donald Trump.

Image source, Reuters

Here's a full list of the agreements signed today, according to Downing Street:

1. Co-operation on Transnational Organised Crime and Illegal Immigration

2. Establishment of a Bilateral Services Partnership

3. Joint Feasibility Study for a UK-China Trade in Services Agreement

4. Co-operation in the Field of Conformity Assessment

5. Exports from the UK to China

6. Strengthening the Work of the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission

7. Co-operation in Domiciliary Services and Sports Industries

8. Collaboration in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

9. Co-operation on Food Safety, Animal, and Plant Quarantine

10. Health Co-operation

We haven't got any details of what exactly is included in each deal, but we'll bring you this as soon as we have it.

In addition to visa-free travel for up to 30 days, the UK has announced a “feasibility study” to work towards an agreement on trade in services between China and the UK.

If agreed, this would establish clear and legally binding rules for UK firms doing business in China, making it easier for British companies to operate in the country, and vice versa.

The UK is already the world’s second largest exporter of services, and these measures aim to grow the £13bn worth of services sold by UK firms to China annually, the government says.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Image source, PA Media

Commenting on the visas agreement, the prime minister said: “As one of the world’s economic powerhouses, businesses have been crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China.

“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.”

We're getting some more details on some of the deals being agreed between China and the UK.

Downing Street says among them is confirmation that there will be visa-free travel for UK citizens visiting China for under 30 days.

The government says that this means people visiting China on business or as tourists will be able to travel without a visa, and that this brings the UK into line with 50 other countries such as France, Germany and Australia.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Keir Starmer

Image source, Reuters

The prime minister has told the UK-China Business Council his engagement with Beijing was a way of “seeing the whole elephant”.

He told a meeting of business delegates at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing: “President Xi tells the story of blind men being presented with an elephant.

“One touches the leg and thinks it’s a pillow, another feels the belly and thinks it’s a wall.

“And too often this reflects how China is seen. But I profoundly believe that with broader and deeper engagement, which we’ve been talking about all this week, is our way of seeing the whole elephant and therefore building a more sophisticated relationship fit for these times.”

He added: “I would like to echo a Chinese phrase, which I think captures the essence of what I’m talking about: pursue common goals whilst reserving differences.

“That’s what we are working together to achieve.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle welcomed the signing of a series of agreements with China on greater co-operation, including on trade in services.

"This visit is a springboard. This is not the last moment, it is a springboard into a future with far more action to come," he said.

Here's a closer look at what AstraZeneca says its $15bn investment in China will bring:

• AstraZeneca says the investments will build on its already substantial footprint in China
• The company will develop its existing manufacturing facilities in Wuxi, Taizhou, Qingdao, and Beijing, as well as establish new manufacturing sites yet to be announced

• It will expand the company's workforce in China beyond 20,000 people and create additional jobs
• The investment will also enhance the company's cell therapy capabilities to help patients, including those with cancer and autoimmune diseases

AstraZeneca, which is headquartered in the UK, has just announced it will invest $15bn (£10.9bn) in China until 2030.

The pharmaceutical company says the investment will be used to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development.

In a press release from AstraZeneca, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the company's "expansion and leadership in China will help the British manufacturer continue to grow - supporting thousands of UK jobs".

We'll have more detail on this deal in the next post.

Let's bring you some more reaction now to Starmer's visit to China.

Kerry Brown, a former first secretary at the British Embassy in Beijing, says that China has become a "technology superpower" since 2018 - the last time a British prime minister visited the country.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Beijing is "way ahead" in the fields of AI, quantum computing and pharma, adding that "China is now really important" in areas that matter to the UK such as cancer treatment and environmental science.

Brown adds that he hopes Starmer's visit "creates a framework" for the UK to "engage with that story rather than shaking our heads and saying no".

Image source, Getty Images

Currently, British passport holders need a visa to enter mainland China.

But President Xi today announced that China would "actively consider" implementing unilateral visa-free entry for UK citizens.

Since 2023, Beijing has dropped visa requirements for a growing number of countries including France, Germany and Spain.

Citizens of these countries can travel to China without a visa for business or tourism for a maximum of 30 days.

Hundreds of thousands of Brits could potentially benefit from a change to the current rules - 620,000 travelled to China in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Image source, PA Media

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the people of the UK and China wanted “open co-operation” between their countries.

At the start of his meeting with Keir Starmer, Li told the prime minister that his efforts to improve relations had been “widely welcomed” in both countries.

He said this showed that “open co-operation and mutual benefit is what the people want. It also serves the shared interests of us both.”

He added: “The more we are in a changing world, the more valuable such stability is.”

Starmer said he wanted “to find ways to work together in a manner which is fit for these times".

“This means being more open and frank, to deal directly with differences, and it also means recognising and respecting modern China in all its vastness and complexity, for everything it has achieved and as a power whose fortunes directly affect the United Kingdom," Starmer added.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer has received a ceremonial welcome at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People ahead of his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qian.

A military band played God Save The King and the Chinese national anthem, March of the Volunteers, before the two men inspected an honour guard of around 140 troops from the Chinese army, navy and air force.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Downing Street has released its readout of the meeting between Keir Starmer and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

A No 10 spokesperson said the two leaders "affirmed their shared commitment to building a consistent, long-term, and strategic partnership that will benefit both countries".

They agreed to co-operate further in areas of mutual interest "while maintaining frank and open dialogue on areas of disagreement", the spokesperson said.

The readout adds that the prime minister raised areas of concern to the UK, but noted that Starmer hopes the visit will forge new partnerships and unlock new opportunities for British businesses.

It quotes the prime minister as saying: "Growth and prosperity at home is directly linked to our engagement with the world’s biggest powers abroad."

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, a shadow home office minister and former chair of the foreign affairs committee of MPs, tells the BBC she is "aghast" at Starmer's comments this morning and "shocked by his tone".

Speaking to BBC 5 Live Breakfast, she lists a string of tensions between China and the UK, including cyber-threats and the case of Jimmy Lai who she says is "wrongly imprisoned".

"He [Starmer] should not have gone to China without a precondition that Jimmy Lai would be coming home with him and the sanctions be lifted against MPs."

For context, a number of Conservative MPs were sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 over their stance on China.

The Conservatives have voiced scepticism over Starmer's visit and closer ties between the two countries, including concerns over the recently approved Chinese mega embassy in London.

Starmer has insisted his visit to China is in the UK's "national interest" and will open up opportunities for British business.

Image source, UK Parliament

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Image source, Reuters

Against the backdrop of Beijing’s Forbidden City, the prime minister reflects on his meeting - which lasted, we’re told, one hour and 20 minutes.

Is President Xi a man you can do business with, he was asked - yes he replied.

This visit is a three-day exercise in defrosting relations between London and Beijing.

The language and tone of the public exchanges at the start of the meeting appeared warm.

Xi pointedly praised Labour governments for what he saw as a history of deepening ties between the two countries.

The prime minister says the talks brought progress on cutting whisky tariffs and the prospect of visa-free travel to China for British visitors. But note talk of progress, rather than a deal, on either.

Xi talked of a "turbulent and fluid world" - the clear subtext, China, a beacon of stability amid President Trump’s whims, outbursts and unpredictability.

Emer Moreau
BBC News

Starmer has said progress is being made on a timeframe to reduce tariffs on whisky.

In 2022, sales of whisky in China were valued at $2.3bn. Last year, tariffs on whisky imports increased from 5% to 10%.

Tariffs are paid by the companies bringing in the imported goods to the government.

Starmer said a move towards lower tariffs was an example of how he wanted a "much wider opening" for British businesses in China.