Britain and China sign trade deals worth £17bn

The deal is understood to cover variety of sectors including energy, transport, finance, health and education.

15:35 17 June 2014

A raft of commercial deals between UK and China amounting to more than £17bn will be finalised as Chinese leader Li Keqiang visits the UK for the first time since he became China’s Premier.  

 

The deals, according to Sky News, are still under negotiation until the last minute. They will cover trade and investment across different sectors including energy, transport, finance, health, and education. 

 

As China is understood to have decided to put its largest shares of European investment into the UK, the deals are expected to finance major British businesses and infrastructure projects including the HS2 highspeed rail link and the next generation of nuclear power stations. 

 

Meanwhile, campaign group Free Tibet, has sent an official letter to Buckingham Palace requesting that Mr Li’s meeting with the Queen be cancelled. 

 

"A meeting [between the Queen and] a leader of the world's largest authoritarian state at a time of increased repression inside its borders does not appear to be in the interests of the monarchy, the United Kingdom, or those resisting oppression across the world," the letter read.