UK business minister will travel to China to reopen trade talks in September

LONDON — Britain’s top business minister will visit China in September to reopen trade talks with Beijing, multiple figures familiar with the plans have told POLITICO.

Jonathan Reynolds is expected to travel to Beijing in the second week of September, heralding the restart of the U.K.-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO).

It will be the first meeting of the JETCO since Boris Johnson’s Tory government suspended talks following Beijing’s crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019.

The reopening of the dialogue, which focuses on tackling bilateral trade barriers, comes as the U.K. works to reset relations with Beijing. Reynolds told POLITICO last fall that trade is an area “where cooperation is possible with China.”

Reynolds’ visit “means JETCO is getting the gravitas it deserves,” said Mark Clayton, chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce South China, pointing to Reynolds’ status as a key cabinet decision-maker.

“It seems to be forgotten that there’s still a lot of tariffs between China and the U.K.,” Clayton said, noting there are “easy wins that could be had” on both sides from the meeting — including lowering non-tariff barriers.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to travel to China early next year after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at November’s G20 leaders summit in South Africa, said two people familiar with the plans.

‘A lot more to do on trade’

China reopened pork market access to the U.K. last December following Reynolds’ discussions with Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 trade ministers in Brazil.

“There’s still quite a lot more to be done on agriculture,” said one of the people familiar with the planning described above, who was granted anonymity to speak freely. “The government is very focused on deliverables and big wins that they can announce with the trip. If something’s relating to tax, or if something’s related to import-export restrictions, it’s probably going to have a little bit more focus.”

Reynolds will be speaking with his counterpart from China’s Ministry of Commerce. “The U.K. and China are having a dialogue … which is grown up and not one with threats and muscle and all the sorts of things that you’re seeing from across the Atlantic,” said a second person familiar with the JETCO planning who was also granted anonymity.

“We are taking a consistent and strategic approach to our trade relationship with China, engaging in areas of trade that benefit the UK’s national interests,” a U.K. government spokesperson said. 

‘Guest of honor’

During the Reynolds visit the U.K. will be front and center as the “guest country of honor” at the annual China International Fair for Investment and Trade running from Sept. 8 in Xiamen, a coastal city in China’s southeastern Fujian province.

China reopened pork market access to the U.K. last December following Reynolds’ discussions with Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen on the sidelines of the G20 trade ministers’ meeting in Brazil. | Andres Martinez Casares/EPA

Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson had been planning to lead a business delegation to CIFIT’s UK Investment Conference 2025, where Chinese firms and investors will learn about projects in both China and Britain.

“The embassy are keen to get a high profile minister out and it’s been a nightmare to make it work,” said a third person briefed on the planning, citing scheduling conflicts that mean neither Gustafsson nor Reynolds are likely to attend. 

During the Reynolds visit the U.K. and Chinese governments are expected to sign 10 memorandums of understanding, the second person familiar with the planning quoted above said, noting a senior civil servant has “gone out to have a direct conversation to make sure the arrangements are all in place.” MoUs in the works cover areas such as digital trade, trade dispute measures, and multilateral trade.

Although non-binding, MoUs have “concrete benefits,” said the British Chamber of Commerce South China’s Clayton.

The visit “will go on the front page of the state-owned media,” he said. Chinese firms and local politicians will then “see the U.K. as a friendly country,” Clayton added.

Starmer’s trip

Yet the biggest opportunities will be unlocked when Prime Minister Keir Starmer travels to China early next year. 

“The Starmer visit, when it happens, will be very important to galvanize [Chinese investment] activity,” said the second person quoted above, who has spoken directly with Chinese firms interested in doing business in the U.K.

“The handshake with Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People, or wherever it is, will send the message that the U.K. is a good investment destination,” they said. Chinese firms “want that very clear message coming out,” they added. “So it’s quite an important thing.”

No. 10 did not respond to a request for comment.