British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden and attended a UK-China reception on Friday afternoon, as part of his official visit to China.
Previously, Starmer arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin a four-day official visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, marking the first visit by a British prime minister to the country in eight years. Accompanying him is a delegation of more than 50 UK companies, spanning manufacturing, green energy, finance, and high-tech industries.
Strolling through the Yuyuan Garden, a landmark of classical Chinese landscape architecture and a symbol of the city’s cultural roots, Starmer admired the lantern displays, sampled traditional butterfly-shaped pastries, and sipped Chinese tea, while warmly engaging with local residents.
A highlight of the visit was a lantern modeled after Larry the Cat, the Chief Mouser of 10 Downing Street, which was presented to Starmer as a surprise gesture.
Later in the evening, Starmer attended a UK-China reception, where he stressed the importance of continued engagement between the two nations. He described his visit as “historic” and voiced optimism about the future of bilateral ties.
“In Beijing, we had really productive bilateral meetings, including with President Xi. And we were able to open up opportunities for both of our countries and resolve issues between us, and that is already reflected. We’ve got a fantastic delegation with us from the United Kingdom and they’re all here in this room this evening. And already I think the atmosphere has changed, the opportunities are opening up and that’s the great prize of engagement,” said Starmer.
“And it’s not just business engagement. It’s also cultural engagement and the creatives. That is the strength of not just business, but deeper cultural relations. And I’m absolutely convinced that the more we engage, the more that mutual trust and respect can be built upon which a great future and great opportunities lie,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Starmer in Beijing on Thursday, and the two sides agreed to develop a long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership.
British PM tours Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, attends reception
The island-wide special customs operations in China’s Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) have boosted trade and industrial development, said an official of the Ministry of Finance on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Wu Jingfang, deputy head of the Tariff Department of the Ministry of Finance, briefed the reporters on results of the special customs operations in Hainan.
“Imported zero-tariff goods are exempt from import duties, value-added tax, and consumption tax, significantly reducing import costs for businesses and promoting greater liberalization and facilitation of trade in goods. Since the launch of island-wide special customs operations [on Dec. 18 last year], the value of imported zero-tariff goods reached 857 million yuan by January 27, a year-on-year increase of 2.43 times, encompassing various industries including chemicals, mineral product manufacturing, and medical care. Tariff exemptions totaled 129 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2 times. Over 10,000 enterprises applied for enjoying benefits from the zero-tariff policy, and more than 5,700 new foreign trade enterprises completed registration in Hainan. Looking ahead, there is still significant potential for further expanding the import of zero-tariff goods,” said Wu.
On Dec. 18, 2025, China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, the world’s largest FTP by area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures.
Officials describe the special customs system as offering “freer access at the first line,” referring to freer trade between Hainan and areas outside China’s customs borders, and “regulated access at the second line,” which involves applying standard customs controls for goods moving from Hainan to the mainland.
The share of zero-tariff products in the Hainan FTP has been raised from 21 to 74 percent, expanding the list of related items from 1,900 to over 6,600.
Zero-tariff goods processed in Hainan may be sold to the mainland duty-free if their local processing generated an added value of 30 percent or more.
Hainan’s special customs operations boost trade, industrial development: official
Hainan’s special customs operations boost trade, industrial development: official
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