Why is China seeking closer UK ties?
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.3K Ratings
🗓️ 29 January 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
China and the UK have agreed a number of new deals during the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing. They include visa-free travel for UK citizens visiting the country for less than 30 days, and a partnership aimed at increasing trade in services between the two countries. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has also announced a $15bn investment in China. Keir Starmer says the relationship between the UK and China is in a "good, strong place" after talks with President Xi Jinping.
Also: scientists plan to drill through the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica to understand how fast the ice is melting. China has executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centres in Myanmar along its border. India joins a growing number of countries considering restricting social media for children. Tesla reports its first drop in annual profits as it drives towards a brave new world of artificial intelligence and robotics. Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces his most serious challenge yet in the country's upcoming election - we hear about his main challenger Peter Magyar who is leading in the polls. And a film promising a rare glimpse into the life of the US First Lady Melania Trump is released in cinemas worldwide, but early ticket sales fall flat.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.6 | This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:10.5 | I'm Valerie Sanderson, and at 1545 hours GMT on Thursday the 29th of January, these are our main stories. |
| 0:18.3 | The British Prime Minister, Kirstarirstama says really good progress has been |
| 0:21.6 | made on his visit to Beijing, where he's met China's leader Xi Jinping. Why scientists are |
| 0:27.0 | drilling into the huge Thwait's glacier in Antarctica. Will Fidesz, the party of Hungary's |
| 0:32.0 | Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, win a fifth consecutive term in office in the country's upcoming elections. |
| 0:40.0 | Also in this podcast, as India's massive market is explored by YouTubers. |
| 0:49.3 | Will proposals to curb access to social media for children make any headway in the country. |
| 1:03.2 | A three-day exercise in warming up the relationship between London and Beijing is underway in the |
| 1:08.7 | Chinese capital. Britain's Prime Minister, Kier Starrmer, |
| 1:11.7 | and China's president Xi Jinping, have been meeting, as well as business leaders from both nations. |
| 1:17.1 | So far, a deal has been announced on a visa-free 30-day travel deal for Britain's going to China, |
| 1:23.4 | as well as a major investment plan in China by the medical giant AstraZeneca. |
| 1:28.2 | But while both countries hope to boost economic and cultural ties, |
| 1:32.6 | how much space is there for the UK to raise concerns about China's human rights record? |
| 1:37.8 | The most prominent case for the UK is that of the jailed British Hong Kong businessman and activist Jimmy Lai, |
| 1:45.0 | charged under the controversial national security law |
| 1:47.7 | that China introduced in Hong Kong in response to large pro-democracy protests |
| 1:52.9 | that have also been widespread human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority in China itself. |
| 1:58.8 | Our political editor, Chris Mason, asked Kirstama, |
| 2:01.4 | how forcefully he'd raise these issues with Xi Jinping. |
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