A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry has announced that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit the country from Wednesday.
The spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that Starmer will pay a four-day visit to China and hold talks with President Xi Jinping and other senior officials.
The visit will be the first by a UK prime minister to China in eight years.
China’s commerce ministry said the two countries plan to sign a document concerning trade and investment cooperation. It also said the British delegation will be accompanied by personnel from more than 50 companies and organizations in the financial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and other sectors.
Relations between Britain and China were once described as a “golden era” in which they deepened their economic cooperation. But the ties became strained over issues such as controls on freedom of speech in Hong Kong and human rights in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The two countries are apparently aiming to improve relations through Starmer’s visit.
After the visit to China, Starmer plans to travel to Japan on Saturday and hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.
AloJapan.com