Trending:Trump vs EuropeIND vs BANAir Force One glitch1 year of Trump 2.0Usha Vance babyUK, China to revive ‘golden era’ business ties during Starmer visitreuters • January 21, 2026, 17:34:43 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterBritain and China will aim to revive a “golden era” business dialogue when Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing next week, with top company executives from both sides invited to participateAdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on GoogleUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Britain and China will aim to revive a ”golden era” business dialogue when Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing next week, three sources familiar with the initiative said, with top company executives from both sides invited to participate. AstraZeneca, BP, HSBC, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Schroders and Standard Chartered, are among the British firms set to join a revamped ”UK-China CEO Council,” said the sources, who are both Chinese and British. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe council was originally conceived by then-Prime Minister Theresa May and then-Premier Li Keqiang in 2018, during a period of ties both sides dubbed ”a golden era”. More from Business Will UK approve China’s mega embassy in London despite spying fears? UK govt rolls back plan requiring workers to use digital ID for employment checks after backlashThe Chinese side should be represented by Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China Mobile, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, China National Pharmaceutical Group and BYD, among other companies, the sources – a mixture of officials and businesspeople – added. LONDON EMBASSY GREEN LIGHT CLEARS WAY FOR VISITNegotiations have been under way for some time. But with Starmer’s visit largely contingent on approval for China to build its largest embassy in Europe in London – a green light it received on Tuesday – talks have only just begun in earnest, they said. Quick ReadsView AllIndonesia currency crisis: Rupiah slips to 16,945 against dollar after Prabowo names nephew to central bankMega monsoon sets India to record $18 bn fertiliser imports — another bumper crop year in sight?Details such as the group’s official English-language name still need to be settled, one person said, with the British government reluctant to include ”CEO” in the title, while the Chinese side plans to keep the same Chinese translation used in 2018. Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-ranking official, should be Beijing’s representative, if the talks go ahead, they added.
