( AFP ) - Gordon Brown arrived in China on Friday on his maiden visit as prime minister, with tackling climate change and boosting two-way trade and investment top of the agenda.
Brown's two-day trip is the first by a European leader this year to China and has been billed by officials in both London and Beijing as of vital importance to strengthening ties between the two countries.
He will spend Sunday night in India on the return journey.
Brown's flight to the Chinese capital was briefly held up at London's Heathrow after a British Airways jet crash landed short of the runway Thursday, causing delays at the world's busiest international airport.
The incident happened shortly before Brown was due to take off, accompanied by a party of around 30 journalists, businessmen and personalities, including Virgin chief Richard Branson and British Olympic athlete Kelly Holmes.