Billions in exports and investment deals secured as PM concludes visit to China

Billions of pounds worth of export and investment deals for the UK have been secured, as the Prime Minister wraps up his visit to China.

Over the course of the visit, the PM welcomed £2.2 billion in export deals, around £2.3 billion in market access wins over five years, and hundreds of millions worth of new investments.  

This has been underpinned by the government’s consistent, pragmatic approach to engagement with China—delivering growth, supporting jobs, and putting more money into the pockets of working people.  

The Prime Minister directly secured a significant win for the UK’s iconic whisky industry, with China agreeing to cut tariffs on whisky from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. This is estimated to be worth £250 million to the UK economy over the next 5 years.   

China is currently Scotch whisky’s 10th largest market by value, and this tariff reduction will help Scottish distillers compete more effectively in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.  

Chinese entertainment brand POP MART – the producer of viral toy Labubus – has confirmed plans to establish London as its regional hub. The company will open 27 new European stores in the coming year—including up to seven in the UK—creating over 150 UK jobs.

At a meeting between the Prime Minister and Chery’s Chairman Yin Tongyue — a leading Chinese global automotive manufacturer — Chery Commercial Vehicles confirmed it will open its European Headquarters in Liverpool. Tongyue underlined their commitment to supporting the local green supply chain and creating jobs in the UK.

In energy, HiTHIUM’s investment will bring £200 million and 300 high-quality jobs in energy storage, building the UK’s sovereign capability and providing technologies that will make our grid more reliable and our economy stronger. HiTHIUM is one of the world’s leading energy storage manufacturers.  

China is the UK’s third largest trading partner with UK exports to China supporting 370,000 British jobs and sitting at the centre of global supply chains and during his visit, the Prime Minister brought together leading UK and Chinese business leaders to deepen commercial ties and unlock new opportunities. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said  

We are bringing stability, clarity and a long-term strategy to how we engage with China, so we can bring home the benefits for businesses and for working people.   

Engaging with China, is how we secure growth for British businesses, support good jobs at home, and protect our national security.

Business & Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said

We will leave China having put our relationship with one of the world’s biggest economies on a stronger footing, unlocking billions for the UK, and setting the course for new commercial partnerships.

This shows that consistent and clear-eyed engagement is the right approach proving the UK doesn’t need to choose between our trade partners.

Iconic bike manufacturer Brompton is on course to reach £111.5 million of sales to China over the next three years, a flagship British success story celebrated by their CEO who joined the visit.   

The World Snooker Tour, which reaches a global audience of 1.8 billion, has secured a new major event in two Chinese cities worth £15 million over five years, underlining China’s continued role as a key growth market for British sport and entertainment.  

Cultech – a Welsh manufacturer – is partnering with China Resources to generate £90 million in exports and creating 55 skilled jobs at Port Talbot, while Birmingham Biotech is expecting £20 million in sales of its innovative, drug-free health products in China. 

In the last year, Glasgow Prestwick Airport has also opened three direct cargo routes to China. The expansion is worth £76 million in new business and will create 250 jobs by next year. The expansion will also strengthen its role as a key international logistics hub and support high value Scottish exports—most notably salmon and seafood—while boosting local communities and the wider UK economy.   

In the last year, Glasgow Prestwick Airport has also opened three direct cargo routes to China in November. The expansion is worth £76 million in new business and will create 250 jobs by next year. The expansion will also strengthen its role as a key international logistics hub and support high value Scottish exports—most notably salmon and seafood —while boosting local communities and the wider UK economy.

In life sciences, Asymchem have announced a major expansion of its UK operations - creating 150 highly skilled jobs over the next five years in advanced R&D and next generation manufacturing. This comes as the UK consolidates its position as Europe’s leading life sciences economy, with the sector contributing over £146 billion in turnover annually.  

British pharmaceutical leader AstraZeneca has also committed £15bn investment to expand innovative R&D programmes in China, supporting its global portfolio and strengthening high skill R&D and manufacturing roles across Cambridge, Macclesfield, Speke, Luton and London. This investment underpins roughly 10,000 UK jobs.  

Grant Wang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of POP MART, said    

London stands at the heart of the global creative ecosystem, and we are thrilled to plant our European roots here.  We feel privileged to have partnered with renowned British IPs like Harry Potter, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to and grow alongside the dynamic culture and creative landscape of the UK and European markets—whether through deeper collaborations with European partners, tapping into its world-class talent pool, or co-creating with the local thriving creative industry.” 

Jason Ferguson, Chairman & CEO of the World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association Group (WPBSA) said  

Sports events and the entertainment they provide are a big part of society. New technologies, large screens, and the interactivity available today means that more and more people can get involved.

We are delighted to see that following consultation with the UK on stadium safety, new guidelines have been established on arena capacity in China, now allowing greater crowds to attend major events and enjoy the fantastic live entertainment on offer.

The visit also concluded with a series of agreements which will expand market access for UK firms across services, agriculture, food, retail, sport and life sciences —and demonstrating how pragmatic cooperation with China can unlock real economic benefits for Britain.  

A new food‑safety cooperation mechanism will strengthen collaboration between authorities in China and the UK. It will allow the UK to take advantage of measures to speed up import approvals, reducing overheads for UK companies seeking to enter China’s fast‑growing market —further broadening the market access opportunities secured during the visit.    

Together these investment, market access, and export wins underline that the UK government’s approach to engaging with China delivers real economic value for the UK—from high growth exports to high skilled jobs—while maintaining the unwavering principle that the UK will never trade economic access for national security.

Additional information

A list of exports announced throughout this visit are below  

• Glasgow Prestwick Airport has announced £76 million in exports from expanded direct cargo services to China.  
• World Snooker has announced a £15 million fiveyear agreement, including a new major event in two Chinese cities.  
• Cultech has announced a new partnership with China Resources expected to deliver up to £90 million in exports over five years and creating 55 jobs in Port Talbot.   
• Gallant has announced the launch of Outwall in China, serving British touring artists, projected to generate over £10 million in revenue over five years.  
• Birmingham Biotech has announced plans to scale its biobarrier platform in China, securing £20 million in projected UK exports.  
• Silverstream Technologies a UK-based leader in ships air lubrication technology, has collaborated with 13 major Chinese shipyards and partners, supported the installation of our Silverstream® Systems on both newbuilds and retrofits, and achieved export revenue in excess of £50m in 2025.   
• Anemoi Marine Technologies - a UK based engineering R&D company – has announced £28 million in export value through the installation of its Flettner Rotor Sails.
• Brompton Bikes has announced £111.5 million in projected export sales in China over three years.