In a sign of how the countries can work together, Downing Street said Starmer and Xi would announce that Britain and China would work together to tackle the gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants.
The deal will be focused on reducing the use of Chinese-made engines for small boats being used to transport people across Europe to claim asylum.
British and Chinese officials will share intelligence to identify smugglers’ supply routes and work with Chinese manufacturers to prevent legitimate businesses from being exploited by organised crime, Downing Street.
Starmer told reporters on the plane to China that he will “raise the issues that need to be raised” on human rights with Xi when asked if he will bring up the case of Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen who was convicted in December of national security crimes.
But the presence of more than 50 business leaders accompanying Starmer and his itinerary shows the priority for this trip is economic ties.
It was time for a “mature” relationship with China, Starmer told a business delegation hours after arriving on Wednesday.
He then dined at a Chinese restaurant known for its mushroom-laden dishes that also hosted former US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her 2023 visit.
He discussed how to pronounce the Chinese word for thank you – “xie xie” – as he posed for photographs with restaurant staff, a video posted on Weibo showed.