UK citizens will be able to travel to China without a visa for 30 days, prime minister Keir Starmer has announced during his trade trip to the country.
The changes, agreed after the prime minister met with Chinese president Xi Jinping, will bring the UK into line with 50 other countries including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan.
Starmer said the new rules, for which a start date has not yet been set, will help UK businesses looking to expand into China.
The UK and China have also agreed to conduct a “feasibility study” to explore whether to enter negotiations towards a bilateral services agreement.
The government said the UK is the world’s second largest exporter of services and “demand from China in this area is growing”. Between 2023 and 2035, Chinese professional and business services imports are forecast to grow by 121%, financial services imports by 71% and digital services imports by 78%.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Xi, Starmer also said “we made some really good progress on tariffs for whisky”.
In February 2025, China doubled its import tariffs on brandy and whisky from 10% to 5%. Exports to China fell by 31% last year.
“We’ve agreed that on tariffs for whisky, we’re looking at how they’re to be reduced, what the timeframe is,” Starmer added.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said:
“As one of the world’s economic powerhouses, businesses have been crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China.
“We’ll make it easier for them to do so – including via relaxed visa rules for short-term travel – supporting them to expand abroad, all while boosting growth and jobs at home.”
Business and trade secretary Peter Kyle said:
“There are huge growth opportunities for services, currently underweighted in our exports to China, from the legal and financial sectors to health and education.
“That’s why we are excited to be joined on this visit by top UK enterprises, as well as fast emerging ones and leading figures from across our cultural and service sectors, to reinforce cooperation, showcase our strengths, and build new business opportunities for Britain.”