China's Vice Premier Li Keqiang charmed Britain yesterday by arriving at trade talks with the offer of two giant pandas.

Li met UK's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in London to sign commercial deals worth at least 2.6 billion pounds (US$4 billion) - but the pandas put business dealings in the shade.

Li oversaw an agreement that will bring a breeding pair to Edinburgh Zoo on a 10-year loan. Seven-year-olds "Sunshine" and "Sweetie" are due to arrive from China's Wulong Panda Research Institute this year.

The agreements signed yesterday included a commitment by Jaguar Land Rover to increase sales to China to some 40,000 vehicles in 2011, with a value of more than 1 billion pounds.

BP and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation also signed an agreement on deepwater exploration in the South China Sea.