Chinese president ‘backs Brexit’

BREXIT can be ‘positive for the world’, the Chinese president is said to have told Theresa May at the G 0 summit.

Xi Jinping, who also called for deeper trade ties between London and Beijing, warned against Brexit before last year’s referendum but said he was now optimistic that the UK and EU could strike a deal that boosts the world economy.

A British diplomatic source said Mr Xi told Mrs May he thought the Brexit talks had ‘got off to a positive start’. He added: ‘The president said Brexit is a very big event for the world, but he believed that a prosperous, stable and open UK and a prosperous, stable and open EU would be positive for the world and that China would further work to promote its interests in Britain and the EU.’

The Chinese president also stressed to Mrs May that China’s economic investment in Britain had increased since the referendum, adding that this showed his country has ‘confidence in the UK’.