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Prime Minister visit to China: trade and investment factsheet

Published 30 January 2026

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Memoranda of Understanding and sectoral cooperation

To enhance bilateral communication and sectoral cooperation, the UK and China have established new memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and protocols including the following:

  • Establishment of a Bilateral Services Partnership
  • Joint Feasibility Study for a China-UK Trade in Services Agreement
  • Strengthening the Work of the China-UK Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO)
  • Exports from the UK to China
  • Co-operation in the Field of Conformity Assessment
  • Co-operation in Domiciliary Services and Sports Industries
  • Collaboration in Technical and Vocational Education and Training
  • Co-operation on Food Safety, Animal, and Plant Quarantine
  • Protocol for the Inspection, quarantine and veterinary sanitary requirements for farmed aquatic products to be exported from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China
  • Protocol for quarantine and hygiene requirements for edible aquatic animals to be exported from the United Kingdom to China

The package of instruments does not create legally binding rights or obligations under domestic or international law.

Trade in Services

Bilateral Services Partnership

The UK and China agreed to launch a Bilateral Services Partnership, a commitment to deepen practical government cooperation to increase market access for services firms, promote commercial opportunities and support the growth of UK-China business partnerships in services.

Feasibility study

Alongside the Bilateral Services Partnership, the UK and China agreed to conduct a joint feasibility study to consider the potential for negotiating a bilateral Trade in Services agreement. If it goes ahead, a Trade in Services agreement would establish clear, legally binding rules, giving UK services exporters greater certainty when doing business in China, consistent with existing World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

Market access

The Prime Minister’s visit has pushed forward market access opportunities potentially worth around £2.3 billion over 5 years to UK businesses.

The UK welcomed approvals for UK law firms to establish representative offices in China, as well as for joint legal operations (a partnership between a Chinese and foreign firm) to be established in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

Life Sciences

The UK welcomed approval of innovative vaccines and medical device products from the UK for export to China, and the granting of broader access to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medicines for Chinese patients, as well as regional access for healthcare services opportunities in 3 Chinese provinces.

Vintage cars

The UK welcomed China’s decision to enable the import of classic and vintage cars into China.

Whisky

The UK welcomed China’s commitment to reduce tariff rates from 10% to 5%, and the protection of lot codes, supporting UK companies to continue to sell their products into China competitively and securely.

Food imports

Signature of a food safety Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will enable future batch registration, meaning faster registration with China Customs for food manufacturers.

Trout

The UK and China signed a farmed aquatic products protocol supporting UK companies to export trout to China for the first time.

Further market access cooperation

The visit also furthered market access cooperation in the following areas:

Technical and vocational qualifications

The UK welcomed China’s decision to expand its list of recognised overseas qualifications, including for UK qualification providers to be recognised in Shanghai. The UK welcomed China’s support for continuing to develop pathways to future recognition for further qualifications and institutional partnerships.

Sports

The UK welcomed continued cooperation with China on sports ground safety standards. New safety reforms in Shanghai and Shenzhen will provide opportunities for larger-scale UK sporting events to take place in China.

Live spiny lobsters

The UK and China signed a protocol to enable the export of live spiny lobsters (crawfish) from the UK to China, fulfilling the JETCO 2025 commitment to expedite the process.

Investment

The visit advanced a number of inward investments, worth hundreds of millions and creating hundreds of jobs, including from Asymchem, Chery Commercial Vehicle, HiTHIUM, and POP MART.

Exports

The government supported £1.8 billion in exports to China by UK companies in the first 3 quarters of this financial year, as shown in new figures published this week.

In addition, the Prime Minister welcomed the following new export deals totalling £400.5 million:

  • Glasgow Prestwick Airport announced £76 million in export revenue from expanded direct cargo services to China
  • World Snooker announced a £15 million 5‑year agreement, including a new major event in 2 Chinese cities
  • Cultech announced a new partnership with China Resources expected to deliver up to £90 million in exports over 5 years and creating 55 jobs in Port Talbot
  • Gallant announced the launch of Outwall in China, serving British touring music artists, projected to generate over £10 million in revenue over 5 years
  • Birmingham Biotech has announced £20 million in projected exports to China
  • Silverstream Technologies announced export revenue in excess of £50 million in 2025 through collaboration with 3 major Chinese shipyards and partners
  • Anemoi Marine Technologies announced £28 million in export value through the installation of its Flettner Rotor Sails
  • Brompton Bikes announced £111.5 million in projected export sales in China over 3 years

Analytical notes

The aggregate figure of around £2.3 billion over 5 years is for 12 market access barriers. To calculate the aggregate figures, the mid-point for each valuation range is estimated over a 5-year period and added to provide a central estimate. This figure represents potential additional exports to UK businesses on the resolution of the market access barriers. These figures may be revised once these barriers are fully resolved.

Further details on the methodology for the aggregate valuation figures are published in a Department for Business and Trade (DBT) analytical working paper on Methodologies for valuing market access barriers.

View data on the UK government’s export wins to China.

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