Mayor of West Midlands Richard Parker joins Prime Minister Keir Starmer in China for trade talks
The elected mayor for the West Midlands has travelled to China with the Prime Minister as part of a trade delegation.
Richard Parker was among political and business leaders due to arrive in Beijing today.
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Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Pathamadai Balaji also formed part of the delegation, which will take in a visit to Shanghai.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said, given that China was the world’s second largest economy and the UK’s third largest trading partner, it was vital that Britain engaged with China
Sir Keir pledged to create a partnership fit for our times, grounded in the UK national interest and focused on making the UK better off.
He said: "For years, our approach to China has been dogged by inconsistency, blowing hot and cold, from Golden Age to Ice Age. But like it or not, China matters for the UK.
