\n<\/p>\n
These are likely to include joint work on medical, health and life sciences, cooperation on climate science, and work to highlight Mandarin language schemes, the people said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Officials are also working on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and visa-free travel for short stays, while firms have been pushing for more expansive banking and insurance licences for British companies operating in China. The U.K. is meanwhile likely to try to persuade Beijing to lower import tariffs on Scotch whisky, which doubled in February 2025.<\/p>\n
A former U.K. official who was involved in Britain\u2019s last prime ministerial visit to China, by Theresa May in 2018, predicted all deals will already be \u201ceither 100 or 99 percent agreed, in the system, and No. 10 will already have a firm number in its head that it can announce.”<\/p>\n
Yet all five people agreed there is unlikely to be a deal on heavy energy infrastructure, including wind turbine technology, that could leave Britain vulnerable to China. The U.K. has still not decided whether to let Ming Yang, a Chinese firm, invest \u00a31.5 billion in a wind farm off the coast of Scotland.<\/p>\n
And while Carney agreed to ease tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), three of the five people familiar with the trip\u2019s planning said that any deep co-operation on EV technology is likely to be off the table. One of them predicted: \u201cThis won\u2019t be another Canada moment. I don\u2019t see us opening the floodgates on EVs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Britain is trying to stick to \u201camber and green areas\u201d for any deals, said the first person familiar with the planning. The second of the five people said: \u201cI think they\u2018re going for the soft, slightly lovey stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n