Nearly 60 British companies and cultural institutions are set to accompany U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his visit to China this week, marking the first state-level trip by a British leader in eight years.

Starmer is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, with discussions expected to focus on trade, investment and national security. An official U.K. statement outlined the delegation of business leaders traveling with the prime minister.

Senior figures from the financial sector are among the group, including HSBC Group Chairman Brendan Nelson and Aberdeen Group CEO Jason Windsor. Representatives from the aviation industry will also attend, with Airbus general counsel John Harrison and British Airways Chief Commercial Officer Colm Lacy taking part.

Executives from major pharmaceutical firms are also included in the delegation. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot and GSK Chair Sir Jonathan Symonds are expected to join the meetings alongside government officials.

The visit comes as Beijing welcomes multiple foreign leaders this month, against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the United States and several of its trading partners, as well as ongoing international disputes involving Greenland.

Earlier in the month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney traveled to Beijing. On the first Monday of 2026, Xi held talks with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, marking the first visit by an Irish leader in 14 years, and later met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also met with Xi earlier this week.