China says UK's May to visit China from Jan. 31

Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry, speaks at a regular news conference in Beijing, China, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee/Files

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May would visit China from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed the visit during a regular news briefing in Beijing.

China is one of the countries with which Britain hopes to sign a free trade pact once it leaves the European Union, and London and Beijing have been keen to show that Britain's withdrawal from the bloc will not affect ties.

(Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)