Keir Starmer secured a deal for visa-free travel to China for UK citizens during his visit to Beijing, according to PA Media. The agreement will allow those visiting China for less than 30 days for business or tourism to enter without a visa, aligning the UK with over 50 other countries, including France and Germany, The Guardian reported.
The change, while not immediate, represents a commitment from Beijing to unilateral visa-free entry for UK citizens, with a start date yet to be confirmed. Currently, British passport holders require a visa to enter mainland China. Starmer stated that businesses have been seeking ways to grow their markets in China, "one of the world's economic powerhouses," The Guardian noted.
The visit marked the first by a British prime minister to China in eight years. During the meeting, Chinese leader Xi Jinping acknowledged the "twists and turns" in the UK's relationship with China, emphasizing the mutual benefit of a more consistent approach, according to The Guardian. Xi expressed hope that both countries could "rise above differences."
In other news, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned advertisements from Coinbase, a major cryptocurrency firm, for implying that crypto could alleviate cost of living concerns, BBC Technology reported. The ASA upheld complaints against a series of Coinbase ads from August that depicted the UK in disrepair alongside a satirical slogan and the exchange's logo. The watchdog found that the ads "trivialised the risks of cryptocurrency," which is largely unregulated in the UK. Coinbase stated that it disagreed with the ASA's decision, according to BBC Technology.
Meanwhile, Waymo, the US driverless car firm owned by Google-parent Alphabet, hopes to launch a robotaxi service in London as early as September, BBC Technology reported. The UK government plans to change regulations in the second half of 2026 to enable driverless taxis, but has not specified a date. A pilot service is scheduled to launch in April. Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood stated that the government is "supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads," according to BBC Technology.
Finally, ministers have rejected calls for compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age, BBC Business reported. The government reconsidered the case after a new document came to light, but concluded that no compensation should be paid. Campaigners from the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group say 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in their state pension age, bringing it in line with men. The Waspi group described the decision as demonstrating "utter contempt" for those affected, according to BBC Business.
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