BEIJING: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed “really good progress” on issues including visa-free travel and tariffs during talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.

Starmer’s visit to China is the first by a British premier since 2018 and follows a slew of Western leaders seeking a rapprochement with Beijing recently, pivoting from an increasingly unpredictable United States.

Xi and Starmer met at the opulent Great Hall of the People and both stressed the need for closer relations in order to face geopolitical headwinds.

Starmer told Xi that China is a “vital player on the global stage” and that they needed to “build a more sophisticated relationship where we identify opportunities to collaborate”. The Chinese leader also stressed the need for stronger ties with a “long-term view” in the context of what he called a “complex” international situation.

Starmer, who is in China until Saturday, later told reporters that the bilateral relationship was in “a strong place”, with progress made on issues such as whisky tariffs.

Downing Street said whisky exported to China would now be subject to a five-percent tariff, down from 10 percent. Starmer signed a series of cooperation agreements after meeting Premier Li Qiang, with Downing Street announcing Beijing had agreed to visa-free travel for British passport holders visiting China for under 30 days.

That brings Britain in line with about 50 other countries allowed visa-free access, including France, Germany, Australia and Japan, and follows a similar agreement made between China and Canada this month.

The agreements also included cooperation on targeting supply chains used by migrant smugglers, as well as on British exports to China, health and strengthening a UK-China trade commission.

The issue of irregular migrants is highly sensitive for Starmer, who has promised to crack down on people smugglers and stem a wave of arrivals that has fuelled rising support for the far right.

Li told Starmer that the resumption of “dialogue and exchanges in multiple fields... fully demonstrates that China and the UK are adhering to development and cooperation”. The British leader in turn reiterated his commitment to “find ways to work together”.

Starmer will also travel to economic powerhouse Shanghai on Friday before making a brief stop in Japan to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Economic cooperation

Beijingers said that Starmer’s trip, as well as recent visits by other Western leaders, showed increased desire for economic cooperation with China. Resident Xie Yu, who lived in London as a graduate student, said European economies have been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs and were “struggling”.

Xie said he hoped more Chinese would have the chance to study abroad as he did.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2026