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.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been given a tour of the Forbidden City - an imperial palace and Unesco World Heritage Site in Beijing.

Image source, PA

Image source, PA

Image source, PA

We've just been hearing from Alex Norris, minister for border security and asylum, following Starmer's conversations in China about small boat crossings.

A reminder, Downing Street says that 60% of the engines in small boats being used to cross the Channel last year were Chinese-made.

Norris tells BBC Breakfast that the government wants British intelligence services to work with China "to disrupt that illicit activity, and that's what we're in the process of agreeing".

Image source, Reuters

Starmer is now being taken on a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Forbidden City is an imperial palace, originally constructed between 1406 and 1420 as the official residence of Ming emperor Zhu Di.

The imperial palace served as the home of Chinese emperors and was the political centre of the Chinese government for more than 500 years.

It was repurposed as the Palace Museum in 1925 and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Asked how forcefully he raised the case of Jimmy Lai and the treatment of Uyghurs, Starmer says: "We raised those issues as you would expect.

"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."

Asked if China were listening to him, the PM adds: "Yes, we did have a respectful discussion about that."

For context, China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

Defending his visit to Beijing, Starmer says: "I always act in the national interest".

He says seizing opportunities that closer ties with China can bring will help to ease the cost of living back in the UK.

He adds that he and President Xi made "real progress" during their discussions.

We have just heard from Keir Starmer following his meeting with President Xi.

He describes the meeting as productive and says there were "real concrete outcomes", adding that the UK's relationship with China is in a "good, strong place".

He says that the delegations made progress on tariffs for whisky, as well as the idea of visa-free travel to China, and on information exchange on "irregular migration" and small boats.

As we reported earlier, more than 60% of small boat engines seized from smuggling gangs last year were found to be manufactured in China, according to Downing Street.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Starmer had earlier said he would be raising concerns over human rights during his visit to China.

On the top of that list is likely to be the case of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy tycoon who's been detained since December 2020. Last month he was convicted of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong's controversial national security law, which was introduced in 2020 in response to massive pro-democracy protests.

Beijing says the law is necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong, but critics say it has effectively outlawed dissent.

Lai, a UK citizen, is the most prominent person to be charged under the law.

His daughter, Claire, had earlier told the BBC she fears she "may never see him again", adding that his physical condition has been deteriorating over the past year.

A former Conservative minister Tom Tugendhat previously told the BBC that Starmer should have secured the release of Lai before heading on his trip.

We have just heard from Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy campaigner who has been detained since 2020 in Hong Kong.

A UK citizen, Lai was convicted of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong's controversial national security law (more on this in the next post).

Sebastien Lai tells BBC Breakfast that Starmer's trip "is obviously a real test" for the relationship between the UK and China.

"The phrase they use is a normalisation - what are we normalising here?" he asks.

Referring to his father's imprisonment, he adds: "This is something that we will never normalise. Whether my father is freed or not is the ultimate test, it's a very visual representation of how China views our relationship.

"We could give them the world, but if they're not giving anything back this is not a relationship."

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

We will shortly hear from the prime minister for the first time since his meeting with President Xi.

The cameras are set up and he’ll be here in the Forbidden City in Beijing in the next 15 minutes or so.

Image source, Chris Mason/BBC

China has released its official readout on the bilateral meeting between Starmer and Xi - and we're now able to give you more details on what went on behind closed doors, according to the release:

• China dismissed suggestions it posed a threat: "No matter how much China develops and grows stronger, it will not pose a threat to other countries"
• The two leaders discussed cooperation across a range of sectors, from education to healthcare, finance, artificial intelligence and new energy, among others
• China will "actively consider" implementing unilateral visa-free entry for UK citizens, said President Xi
• The subject of Taiwan and Hong Kong came up in the meeting, but the readout offered brief details. The UK's policy on Taiwan – it does not recognise the island as a state nor maintain formal diplomatic relations with it – remains unchanged, according to the readout, adding that the UK welcomes Hong Kong as a "unique and important bridge" between the UK and China
• Xi also called on the two countries to advocate for "genuine multilateralism" and a "more just and reasonable governance system", noting that unilateralism and "power politics" have severely impacted the international order

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

Keir Starmer’s visit to China is as much about economic outcomes as it is about diplomacy.

For the UK, the visit comes at a time of weak growth and a push to attract more overseas investment. China remains one of the world’s largest consumer markets and a major source of foreign investment, in manufacturing, clean energy and infrastructure.

British officials see an opportunity for sectors where the UK is competitive like in financial services, pharmaceuticals and education.

Starmer is facing scrutiny for engaging with Beijing at home, but by taking a large business delegation, it allows him to project the image of a prime minister focused on growth, investment and jobs at a time when the UK economy remains fragile.

China is also facing a drop in domestic demand and growth, fragile investor confidence and rising trade friction with the US. Strengthening ties with the UK - Europe’s second-largest economy - would be a boost for Beijing and signal that it remains open for business with Western partners.

Gavin Butler
Live reporter

Upon meeting Xi earlier today, Starmer handed the Chinese president a rather unusual gift: the football used during last weekend’s English Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal.

Xi is reported to be a supporter of Manchester United, who beat Arsenal – the team Starmer supports – 3-2 on Sunday.

Image source, Getty Images

In 2015, ESPN described the Chinese president as "Manchester United-obsessed" – noting that during his visit to Britain in 2015 Xi was confusingly given a VIP tour around Etihad Stadium, "the home of United's bitter crosstown rivals, Manchester City".

Starmer, an avid football fan who is regularly seen at Arsenal's games, likely saw the gift as a way to connect to Xi.

It's not the first unique gift a British leader has given the Chinese president. In 2018, Theresa May presented Xi with a DVD box set of BBC's seven-part natural history series, Blue Planet II.

The copy May gave Xi reportedly had a specially recorded message from Sir David Attenborough himself, intended to highlight both countries’ determination to stop plastic pollution.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Amid the formality and history of the Great Hall of the People, both leaders articulated a shared desire for a closer relationship.

Xi pointedly praised Labour governments for what he saw as a history of deepening ties between London and Beijing.

Starmer, forever aware of needing to justify what his critics see as his jaunts on the global stage, said his desire for the UK to "face outwards" reflected the reality that events abroad affect so much back home, from security to prices in the supermarket.

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

But the gloss of diplomacy cannot mask the vast differences of instinct and outlook, on human rights and espionage just for starters.

Here are some pictures from Starmer's earlier meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Commentator and former editor-in-chief of Chinese state media outlet the Global Times Hu Xijin has dubbed Britain the "prodigal son who has returned to embrace China".

On Chinese social media, some other users have dubbed Starmer "another Carney".

Starmer is among a series of Western leaders who are paying visits to Beijing amid global political and trade uncertainty - and pain from US tariffs.

Canadian PM Mark Carney similarly met Xi earlier this month and signed a flurry of trade deals, pointing to a thaw over long icy diplomatic ties. Xi hailed the "turnaround" of ties while Carney noted that the "world has changed dramatically".

Earlier this week, Xi welcomed Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Beijing. The president of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, a longstanding US ally in Asia, has also visited Xi. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to go next month.