Theresa May will hold a joint trade and investment review with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Reuters this morning, which she hopes will be the “first step” to landing a free trade agreement between the two countries.
“Once Britain leaves the EU, we will be free to strike our own deals,” the office of the Prime Minister told news sources.
President Xi spoke of sectors such as beef and dairy becoming more open to the UK, while May expects that business deals worth at least 9 billion pounds ($12 billion) will be signed during her visit.
The two leaders will hold further talks on China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative, which has recently been a source of tension between parties. May has been reluctant so far to voice her approval for the project, due to concerns of international trade standards and transparency.