Chancellor’s mission to Beijing weighted with greater expectations

Rachel Reeves hailed a new era of “respectful and consistent future relations with China” as pressure grew on the embattled ­chancellor to deliver on her government’s central promise to fire up UK economic growth.

After meeting China’s vice-­premier, He Lifeng, in Beijing, Reeves said Britain’s relationship with the world’s second largest economy would be “frank and open on areas where we disagree”, while stressing it would be pragmatic in ­“finding opportunities for safe trade and investment”.