China has agreed a deal with Inmarsat, the British satellite group, that will provide communications along the modern-day Silk Road being planned under the country’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

President Xi Jinping visited the London headquarters for Inmarsat near the City of London on Thursday morning as part of his four-day visit to the UK, which has resulted in about ￡40bn of deals between the UK and China, including a major investment in the next generation of British nuclear power stations.

As part of the visit, Inmarsat, the London-listed group that provides global communications through a fleet of satellites, has unveiled a strategic partnership with the China Transport Telecommunication & Information Centre (CTTIC) to deliver satellite communications through China and the One Belt, One Road area.