Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Prime Minister’s press release entitled Prime Minister unlocks new opportunities for British businesses in China, published on 29 January 2026, if he will make it his policy to ensure that any services agreement with China includes clear and legally binding protections for UK firms operating in China.

The UK and China have agreed to launch a Bilateral Services Partnership, developed in response to UK business' asks for clearer rules, better market access, and practical support to benefit from China's increasing demand for high-quality UK services.

The UK and China have also agreed to conduct a joint feasibility study to examine the potential to negotiate a bilateral Trade in Services Agreement. Such a legally binding agreement, if secured, would mirror the services chapters of the UK’s modern, high‑standard FTAs and be consistent with the UK and China’s obligations under the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services.