UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Shanghai on Friday afternoon, continuing his historic visit to China and urging closer cooperation between the two nations.

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.

According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during his stay in Shanghai, Starmer will visit key city landmarks and meet with senior executives of British companies operating there.

His schedule is expected to include a cultural visit to Yuyuan Garden, one of Shanghai's most iconic historic sites, as well as a stop at the Bund, long home to many British companies' Asia-Pacific and Greater China headquarters.

Shanghai's selection as the second stop of Starmer's current China visit is no coincidence. The city has played a leading role in China-UK cooperation, particularly in financial regulation, market connectivity, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and modern shipping services. While cooperation was once best known for financial initiatives such as the Shanghai-London Stock Connect, collaboration has since expanded across multiple sectors. Today, exchanges in artificial intelligence and robotics are growing rapidly.

Starmer's visit has yielded a series of concrete outcomes, as the two countries have agreed to develop a long-term, consistent comprehensive strategic partnership.

China has decided to reduce import tariffs on whisky from 10 percent to 5 percent. Furthermore, both countries agreed to establish a high-level partnership to address climate change, resumed security dialogue and signed 12 intergovernmental cooperation documents.