China agreed to relax rules to allow some visa-free travel for British citizens on Thursday during a visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Beijing, as part of a partnership deal which London hopes will help expand its service sector.

British citizens will be allowed to visit China without a visa if they are travelling for under 30 days, Starmer said following his talks with President Xi Jinping, in what he cast as a win for business.

Companies had been "crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China", a statement from Starmer said, adding that visa-free travel would help facilitate expansion in that market, boosting jobs at home.

Injecting growth into Britain's relatively sluggish economy is one of the main aims of his four-day trip.

As part of what Britain called a "new partnership", the two countries also agreed to conduct a feasibility study which could pave the way towards a bilateral services agreement, which would further help British firms doing business in China.

Britain's economy is underpinned by its huge services sector and the partnership will aim to grow links in the healthcare, financial and professional services, legal services, education and skills sectors, the statement said.

Britain exports 13 billion pounds worth of services to China annually, it added, and demand from China is growing.