Beijing: Senior executives from Airbus, AstraZeneca and HSBC are among nearly 60 British business and cultural leaders accompanying UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a high-profile visit to China this week, the first by a British leader in eight years.
Starmer is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, with talks expected to focus on trade, investment and national security, according to a statement from the UK government.
The delegation includes key figures from finance, manufacturing, aviation and pharmaceuticals, highlighting London’s push to reset economic ties with Beijing amid global trade uncertainty.
Among those joining the trip are HSBC Group chairman Brendan Nelson and Aberdeen Group chief executive Jason Windsor. Airbus general counsel John Harrison and British Airways chief commercial officer Colm Lacy are also part of the delegation.
Pharmaceutical companies are represented by AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot and GSK chair Sir Jonathan Symonds, reflecting the sector’s growing commercial exposure to China’s healthcare market.
The visit comes as Beijing hosts a series of foreign leaders amid rising geopolitical tensions and strained trade relations between the United States and several of its partners.
Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to China, while Xi met Ireland’s Prime Minister Michael Martin in the first visit by an Irish leader in 14 years. The Chinese president has also held talks with South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung and Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in recent days.
UK officials said the China trip aims to balance economic engagement with security considerations, as London seeks to protect critical national interests while expanding trade and investment opportunities for British companies.
