Looking ahead, here's what else is on Starmer's agenda today.

• Starmer is off to a quick cultural reception before a tour of the Forbidden City
• Following which, he will head to a welcome ceremony and talks with Premier Li Qiang
• The day will wrap up with a session where both Starmer and Li are expected to witness the signing of a series of agreements, before heading off to dinner

We'll bring you the latest as we get them. Stay with us.

Yvette Tan
Live editor

It's just past 12:45 in Beijing (04:45 GMT), and the meeting between Starmer and Xi has concluded.

Here are some of the main takeaways:

• The two leaders met just after 11:00 local time, with Starmer calling China a "vital player on a global scale" with whom the UK is seeking a "more sophisticated relationship"
• Xi said the UK-China relationship had seen “twists and turns”, but added that China stood ready to develop "a long-term and consistent strategic partnership" with the UK, noting that engagement is "unavoidable"
• The Chinese leader further said that he and Starmer would "stand the test of history" if they could "rise above differences"
• Regarding human rights concerns, Starmer said on his flight to Beijing he had "always raised issues that need to be raised", but did not go into specifics. He later flagged global stability, growth and climate change as issues for discussion
• Today's meeting marked the first full day of Starmer's three-day visit to China. He is the first UK prime minister to visit China in eight years

Stay with us as we bring you the latest on this.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

The bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People has ended. It lasted for around 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Starmer is due to head to a cultural reception later this afternoon, followed by a tour of the Forbidden City.

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

Both the UK and Chinese governments have said they want to sign trade and investment cooperation agreements during the visit - which would be the first step in a reset and broadening of economic engagement after several years.

Any announcements are likely to focus on sectors like green energy, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, creative industries and professional services such as finance and education.

People briefed on the discussions say talks may include potential Chinese investment in UK automotive production, including proposals for Chinese manufacturers to make use of under-utilised British plants in partnership with companies like Jaguar Land Rover.

But success is unlikely to be measured by deals alone. Restarting regular face-to-face dialogue is critical to rebuild confidence in the trade relationship and unlock future investment.

Commercial agreements, improved market access for British companies in China and a rise in UK exports and inbound Chinese investment would all be seen as concrete wins.

Adam Hancock
Business reporter

As we mentioned earlier, the UK prime minister is being accompanied in China by 54 representatives from top names across British business, sport and culture.

Amongst them are bosses from AstraZeneca, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Airbus UK.

Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Pathamadai Balaji is also amongst the travelling party. China is one of the top three markets for JLR, alongside the US and the UK. The carmaker operates a factory with Chery Automobile in Changshu.

The boss of folding bike company, Brompton, is another business leader making the trip to Beijing. China is the company's largest global market, with the firm's CEO William Butler-Adams saying the country is home to "exciting" business opportunities.

The meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Xi Jinping is still ongoing, we're told.

It's now been going for more than an hour.

We'll bring you the latest updates as and when they happen.

A former chief opinion editor for the Chinese Communist Party’s English-language daily, the Global Times, has praised Starmer's visit, calling it a "very good" strategy for repairing the bilateral relationship and also “the global condition”.

Speaking to the BBC from Beijing, Wang Wen said Chinese people would welcome the return of “pragmatic diplomacy”.

Ties between the countries are a “big issue” and in the past the UK has underestimated China’s sincerity in wanting to improve relations, he said.

When asked if human rights, and in particular the case of Jimmy Lai, would be discussed, Wang said it should not become an “external obstacle" to improving bilateral relations.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Xi Jinping told Sir Keir Starmer the two men would "stand the test of history" if they could "rise above differences.

He said: "As long as it is the right thing that serves the fundamental interests of the country and the people, then as leaders we should not shy away from difficulties and we should press ahead."

The president also quoted a Chinese proverb: "Range far your eye over long distances."

"As long as we take a broad perspective, rise above differences and respect each other, then we will prove ourselves able to stand the test of history," he said.

Mentioning the upcoming Chinese new year, he added that Starmer’s visit was "a sign of auspiciousness".

Image source, Getty Images

"Engagement with China is an unavoidable issue, and I express my appreciation for this," Xi went on to say.

"Good things often take time and effort," he said.

"As long as something is the right thing to do and serves the fundamental interests of our countries and peoples... We should take a long-term view," Xi said, adding that both countries should "rise above differences and uphold mutual respect".

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Image source, EPA

Xi Jinping said the UK-China relationship in recent years had seen “twists and turns that did not serve the interests of our countries” as he met Sir Keir Starmer.

Beginning his meeting with Starmer in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi said: “China-UK relations went through some twists and turns that did not serve the interests of our countries.

Describing the state of the world as “turbulent and fluid” Xi said more dialogue between the UK and China was “imperative”, whether it was “for the sake of world peace and stability or for our two countries’ economies and peoples”.

He said: “In the past, Labour governments made important contributions to the growth of China-UK relations.”

He added: “China stands ready to develop with the UK a long-term and consistent strategic partnership. It will benefit our two peoples.”

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Starmer has told Xi Jinping he wanted a “more sophisticated” relationship with China as he met the president at the Great Hall of the People on the first morning of his trip.

It's been "too long" since a British PM visited the country, Starmer told Xi.

"China is a vital player on the global stage and it is vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship."

Stressing the economic benefits of an improved relationship with China, Starmer said: "It is with the British people in mind that I am here today.

"I made the promise 18 months ago when we were elected into government that I would make Britain face outwards again.

"Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, to prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel."

In his opening remarks, Starmer called China a "vital player on a global scale", adding that he "looks forward to taking [both countries'] relationship further".

Xi spoke first, but his remarks were difficult to make out due to low audio levels – we'll get you his comments as soon as we can, stay with us.

Image source, Reuters

Adam Hancock
Business reporter

China is the UK's third largest trading partner, but there is an increasing trade imbalance between the two countries.

The UK imports far more goods than it sells to China, with the trade deficit currently standing at £42bn according to the latest figures from the UK's Department of Business & Trade. That's double the £21.1bn deficit back in 2019.

The UK is not alone in this. Beijing reported the world's largest-ever trade surplus in 2025, driven by a rise in exports to markets outside the US.

Electronic goods, clothing and office machinery are amongst the biggest imports into the UK from China, whilst cars, pharmaceutical products and crude oil are sold the other way.

As a meeting between Xi and Starmer is ongoing - all eyes are on whether the UK leader might bring up the issue of human rights.

Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore said although Starmer has said he would raise these issues, questions remained around how he might frame them.

“Whether it would be a sort of pro-forma thing or whether he would actually want to push forward on some of these issues,” Chong said.

Chong said it had to be remembered that Starmer had to “handle” issues around the approval of a new Chinese mega-embassy in central London, which critics have warned could be used as a base for spying.

Prof Chong says he will also be looking to see if anything is raised about Taiwan or the South China Sea.

“They may be far away from the UK but they will potentially have global ramifications if we see escalation."

Starmer is now meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Chinese state television CCTV is reporting.

As we reported earlier, the last time the two leaders met was in November 2024 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

Chris Mason
Political editor, travelling with Starmer

Hello from Beijing.

The prime minister will be meeting China's President Xi about now.

Starmer first met the chairman of China’s National People’s Congress as he began a day of talks with the Chinese leadership, with Zhao Leji receiving Starmer at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People this morning.

Zhao said it was "significant" to develop the UK-China relationship "well" amid the "changing and turbulent international landscape".

He also praised Starmer's efforts to develop a closer relationship with China, saying relations were now on "the correct track to improvement and development” and “positive progress has been made.”

"This is a historic visit, the first by a British prime minister in eight years," Starmer said.

"We have made this trip because I believe it is strongly in our common interest to find positive ways to work together, and that has been our long-standing position," he added.

"I look forward to a very productive few days discussing issues of global stability and security, growth and shared challenges like climate change."

Ian Tang
BBC Monitoring

As we await the outcome of the talks between the two leaders, here's a recap of their last meeting in November 2024 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.

Xi told Starmer then that despite "differences in history, culture, values, ideas and social systems", their two countries "share extensive common interests", according to China's Xinhua News Agency.

China and Britain enjoy "vast space for cooperation" in trade and investment, clean energy, financial services, medical care and livelihood, Xi added.

Starmer called on Beijing to "engage honestly and frankly" in areas including Hong Kong, human rights and Russia's war in Ukraine.

He also voiced concerns over the deteriorating health of jailed Hong Kong former media mogul Jimmy Lai. The 76-year-old British citizen has since been convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

China ommitted Starmer's above comments from its official readout issued after the meeting.

Starmer said during his flight to Beijing on Wedesday that he will "raise issues that need to be raised", but we can expect Beijing to downplay or leave out the contentious issues in its recap of today's meeting.

Image source, Getty Images

Starmer is now at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he was welcomed by Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress.

The prime minister's meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, the highlight of this visit, is set to take place soon.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Hong Kong legislator and pro-democracy activist Nathan Law says he is concerned about whether Starmer's visit will weigh heavily on economic discussions "but in the process compromise on issues around security and human rights".

"The PM should be very aware that a lot of China's offers and opportunities to invest comes with a lot of risks and conditions," Law, who is living in exile in the UK, tells the BBC.

"We always say that China's money is 'coloured'," he says. "At the end of the day, [their investments] serve their geopolitical strategy."

Hong Kong authorities have issued a HK$1m bounty for Law's arrest, as well as that for several other activists.

Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media tycoon convicted in a high-profile national security trial, is among the issues Law hopes Starmer will raise with the Chinese government.

The visit would be a "strategic misstep" for the UK if it portrays that the government "doesn't care about these issues", he adds.

Before we kick off the day of meetings, here's a look at the feast the UK delegation had last night at In & Out (not the fast food chain), a restaurant offering Yunnan cuisine.

A video shared by the restaurant owner show patrons and staff approaching Starmer for photographs.

"The young staff were all thrilled. It felt like we were celebrating Chinese New Year," the owner said.

You'll see in this menu that several of the dishes are cooked with wild mushrooms the southern province is known for.

Image source, Li Gang

These mushrooms packed with umami flavour are sold in markets and appear on restaurant menus throughout Yunnan, especially during peak mushroom season between June and August. If not cooked properly, however, they can cause hallucinations.

Former US treasury secretary Janet Yellen had similar dishes at In & Out when she visited Beijing in 2023, where she said she learnt about the fungi's hallucinogenic properties only after.

Image source, In & Out