British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to discuss trade ties, among other matters, with China on her scheduled visit to the country later this year.
Reuters said the visit is part of the series of British leader's foreign trips, which are aimed at strengthening relations with major powers as Britain negotiates its separation from the European Union.
The report said that although only a few details about the trip were given, May is interested in ensuring the support of other countries before the start of the Brexit talks, which many consider as one of the most complicated talks that Britain has ever conducted.
The talks with EU are expected to be launched before the end of March, the report said.
"It would be a renewed expression of the close relationship between Britain and China, something that you have seen obviously develop over the past few years," May's spokesman said on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
"I would imagine that trade would form some part of the discussions that we have," the spokesman added.
Shortly after she became prime minister, May attended the G20 summit in China last Sept. Chinese President Xi Jinping also asked May to visit China again during the summit.
According to the report, trade has become a major topic of May's talks with foreign leaders as she has clearly expressed her plans for Britain to break away from the EU market in recent months.
U.S. President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders have assured May that they are interested in starting talks on strengthening their relations.
The British leader, however, received criticisms on her attempts to win trade promises while some opposition MPs have accused her of avoiding difficult issues.
Last month, May became the first foreign leader to visit Trump who had been under fire for his recent immigration policy.
The British leader was also criticized for enhancing relations with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan who had been accused by rights groups of detaining tens of thousands of people following a failed coup in July.