Chinese businesses have pledged hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of investment in the U.K. and struck new partnerships with British peers as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China spurred a flurry of bilateral business activity and investment flows. 

During his four-day visit in China last week, Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping and secured deals that would see hundreds of millions worth of new investments from Chinese businesses, in addition to £2.2 billion ($3 billion) worth of exports and £2.3 billion in market access, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. 

Following the high-profile visit, the two leaders hailed the benefits of cooperation, with Xi describing the bilateral ties as “mutually beneficial.” Starmer, who brought a large delegation of executives from banking, pharmaceutical, and automobile companies to China, also described the country as vital to Britain’s interests. 

While no sweeping free trade deal was reached, companies across several industries have announced major investments and partnerships aimed at deepening the bilateral ties, including Pop Mart, the toymaker behind Labubu dolls, e-commerce group JD.com, and battery giant CATL. 

The flurry of deals came as the British leader sought to rebuild ties with Beijing despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that it could be “very dangerous” for the U.K. to get into business with China. 

The diplomatic reset also came as European Union leaders repeatedly raised concerns over China’s export surplus flooding European markets. 

Chinese overcapacity is “a marginally less acute concern” for the U.K., said Gabriel Wildau, managing director at Teneo, as the greater role of services in Britain’s economy reduced the political focus on competitive threats from made-in-China exports. 

Concerns over critical infrastructure security, espionage risks and technology dependency on China have been a focus for U.K. policymakers in recent years, drawing tougher scrutiny and bouts of selective decoupling, Wildau added.

Similarly, Chinese automaker Chery Commercial Vehicles plans to establish a regional headquarters in Liverpool, according to a social media post by the city council. While few details of the deal have been disclosed, Chery is widely expected to partner with the U.K.’s Jaguar Land Rover for its British…