The last time Boris Johnson was in Beijing in 2008, he cut a somewhat comical figure as he accepted the Olympic flag from his triumphant hosts in the city’s cavernous “Bird’s Nest” stadium.

London’s mayor was in more cosy confines on his return visit to the Chinese capital yesterday. A year after London held its own successful games, Mr Johnson pressed the flesh with amused – and often enthused – Chinese onlookers at exhibitions that trumpeted London’s universities and some of Britain’s most famous brands.

Mr Johnson, a recognised and popular figure in China, will today make a joint appearance with George Osborne at Peking University. The week-long visits mark a thaw in Sino-UK relations after David Cameron’s meeting with Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, last year angered the Chinese government.