China and United Kingdom
Businesses, services and supply chains connect the two countries alongside political and security differences. The January 2026 British visit sought to expand trade opportunities. Economic cooperation does not remove independent decisions on technology protection or foreign policy.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Services at the centre of the agenda
The January 2026 visit announced a Bilateral Services Partnership and a feasibility study for a services agreement.
Businesses, investment and market access
The British profile distinguishes trade opportunities, announced investment and access changes.
What was announced in January 2026
The 30 January review documents the services partnership and access opportunities.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 103,849.5 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: China to United Kingdom | 85,210.4 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: United Kingdom to China | 18,639.1 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to United Kingdom | 2.26 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Export share: United Kingdom to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in United Kingdom | ||
| Investment stock: United Kingdom in China |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: China to United Kingdom
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: United Kingdom to China
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: China to United Kingdom
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods share: CHN exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | China | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 4 trillion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 57,601.96 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | 1.39 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.88 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 0.8 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · NBS China | 3.1 %Year-on-year · 2026-08 · ONS |
| Unemployment | 4.62 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 4.75 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -5.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 102.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | -2.43 %2025 · World Bank |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 69,487,0002025 · World Bank |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 243,610 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChina: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)China: 2026-09-24 · PBoC: 7-day reverse repo · People’s Bank of China · Published: 2026-09-24 · Rate of the official operation consulted, not the mortgage LPR or the PSL lending rate. Subsequent operations with zero volume are not converted into a 0% interest rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChina: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · National Bureau of Statistics of China · Published: 2026-09-09 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.United Kingdom: 2026-08 · Headline CPI; change relative to the same month of the previous year · ONS · Headline CPI, not CPIH or core inflation.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChina: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.United Kingdom: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.United Kingdom: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.United Kingdom: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOUnited Kingdom: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
China to United Kingdom
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 17,287.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 12,180.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 9,285.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 411.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 307.7 M USD2025 · Source |
United Kingdom to China
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Land vehicles and components | 3,154.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 2,542.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 1,468.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 1,164.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 990.1 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from China living in United Kingdom | ||
| Residents from United Kingdom living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in United Kingdom | ||
| Study and training: United Kingdom in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in United Kingdom | ||
| Academic stays: United Kingdom in China | ||
| Travel: China to United Kingdom | ||
| Travel: United Kingdom to China |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Services at the centre of the agenda
The January 2026 visit announced a Bilateral Services Partnership and a feasibility study for a services agreement. The aim is to facilitate business access and regulatory cooperation. A study is not an already concluded treaty. The agenda identifies potential opportunities over several years; their amount is not revenue actually generated in the year of the visit. [1]
Businesses, investment and market access
The British profile distinguishes trade opportunities, announced investment and access changes. These categories have their own timelines and mechanisms. For an individual business, authorisation, technical requirements and ownership or service-provision conditions matter. The customs goods figure accompanying this page covers a different activity and does not automatically include affiliates' local sales. [1]
Political dialogue and the business agenda
The January delegation brought together officials and businesspeople on the same visit, but trade and diplomatic decisions are not a single obligation. Continuing contacts allow specific matters to be addressed without assuming agreement on every international issue. The British documentation presents expected benefits of trade initiatives; that expectation is distinguished from the results subsequently recorded in statistics. [1]
The scale of the two economies
China recorded nominal GDP of 19,498 billion USD in 2025, compared with 4,002.6 in 2025 for the United Kingdom. The reference populations were 1,406.59 million (2025) and 69.49 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, China's nominal GDP was 4.87 times that of the United Kingdom. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
What was announced in January 2026
The 30 January review documents the services partnership and access opportunities. Its multi-year horizons help explain why an announcement may precede deliveries, permits or implemented investment. The 2025 values provide a reference preceding that visit. An increase recorded before the January agreements were announced is not attributed to them. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between China and the United Kingdom totalled 103,849.5 million USD. Shipments from China to the United Kingdom were 85,210.4 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 18,639.1 million USD. China's shipments to the partner represented 2.26% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Outcomes of the British visit to China
UK Government · Institutional source · Document: 2026-01-30 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 156; partners 0,826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.