Fri, 30 Jan 2026

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 Healthcare, visas and whisky: What did UK and China get from Starmer's visit?

Sir Keir Starmer's visit to China brought agreements on visas, services, healthcare, green tech and finance.

* Visa-free travel for British citizens visiting China for up to 30 days for holidays and business
* Halved tariffs on Scotch whisky from 10% to 5%, expected to generate £250m for the British economy over five years
* Agreements on visas, services, healthcare, green technology, and finance
* AstraZeneca promised to invest $15bn (£11bn) in China over four years to expand research and manufacturing of medicines
* Octopus Energy is entering the Chinese market through a partnership with PCG Power to develop a digital platform for trading electricity
* Cooperation on disrupting migrant-smuggling networks, a top priority for Sir Keir's government
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