U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the Chinese financial center of Shanghai on Friday in his bid to boost business opportunities for British firms in the world's second-largest economy, just hours after U.

China rolled out a new work plan to boost services consumption as stimulus measures to boost households spending on goods have so far done little to lift demand.

With the second Trump administration has come a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign economic policy. Washington is imposing tariffs on partners and rivals alike, slashing foreign aid, aggressively renegotiating trade deals,

China has reported its economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2025, buoyed by strong exports despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Buffeted by tariffs and trade tensions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer took British business leaders to China and emerged with deals on visas and Scotch whisky, as well as pledges to deepen ties.

As the dust cleared around the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise military strike earlier this month, US officials left little question that they had another target too: China.

Sir Keir Starmer’s visit signals a UK–China trade reset, but can British firms turn opportunities into real growth?