British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping made significant progress on tariffs, travel, and small-boat migration during a meeting on Thursday, describing their bilateral relationship as being in a “strong place.”
Speaking to reporters after an 80-minute summit in Beijing, Starmer highlighted agreements on reducing whisky tariffs, enabling visa-free travel to China, and enhancing information-sharing on irregular migration.
The leaders discussed the specifics of the whisky tariff cuts, including the scale and timing, and exchanged information on small boats used in irregular migration to the UK, within a broader focus on security and defense cooperation.
Starmer emphasized that lowering whisky tariffs was part of his broader goal of opening more opportunities for British businesses in China, in line with efforts to boost the UK’s sluggish economic growth.
When asked about Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen convicted in December for national security offenses, Starmer said the topic was addressed in a “respectful” discussion.
