Prime Minister Gordon Brown comes to visit China on January 18-20, and this is the first-ever China trip he has made as the British prime minister.
The relations between China and Britain are developing in a good momentum at present. First, there has been a frequent exchange of visits at the high level and the strategic mutual trust is being reinforced. Since the assumption of his office, Prime Minister Brown has had a number of telephone conversations with Premier Wen Jiabao and entered into correspondence with the Chinese premier. The two sides have held a second round of strategic dialogue.
Second, bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two nations has enjoyed continued development, and their trade volume was estimated to have reached 40 billion US dollars last year. Britain remained China's largest investor among the European Union (EU) member nations. And fruitful results have also been scored in cooperation in the areas of finance, banking service, education, science and technology, culture, health work, the Olympics affairs, environmental protection and sustainable development.
On the eve of his China trip, Prime Minister Brown hosted a "tea party" for Chinese community representatives in Britain, the first-ever such a party held in honor of Overseas Chinese or nationals of the Chinese origin residing in Britain at the prime minister's office at No. 10 Downing Street in London. Brown said at the party that the "UK-China relations are ‘very solid' and a couple of China-themed cultural events to be held in London." He also said he hoped to further strengthen bilateral ties through the visit.
In the wake of growing bilateral cooperation and exchanges, he noted, "So many students from China are coming to Britain, forming the biggest number than any other countries and Chinese tourists to Britain are also the largest in number." All this indicates a profound, in-depth basis for British-Chinese cooperation and exchanges, he acknowledged.
In another related development, China's fast economic growth has provided more opportunities for the expansion of Sino-European ties and Sino-British relations, said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during his tour of Britain last December. With no conflict of fundamental interests between China and EU, identical concepts on handling international relations and their cultures appealing to each other, both sides should step up their mutual political trust, deepen their substantial cooperation, enhance their mutual understanding and dissolve their differences appropriately. This analysis fully reflects China's basic strategic judgment of its relations with Britain and the EU as a whole.
Britain was the earliest industrial nation in the world with a highly developed banking sector. Leaders of Britain and China are expected to have a candid and straightforward exchange of views, according to relevant sources from the British side. Discussions in this field will be quite conspicuous in the current violate and unstable situation. As Britain is a traditional banking power and China poses a newly-emerging financial power, both nations should beef up communications and mutual understanding, so as to cooperate to stabilize international upheavals through their sound mutual induction and cooperation; this represents a win-win option for both countries. After all, there is an apparent economic mutual interdependence among all countries in the present conditions of economic globalization.
Both British government agencies and think-tanks have reportedly note that Britain should seize opportunities for cooperation with China for their common development in the 21th century, and this precisely represents a vital, essential role for Britain to play with its re-emergence in the political and economic fields. Furthermore, Prime Minister Brown will during the visit reiterate his stance in opposition to the (Taiwan) referendum for the UN bid. These above correct and reasonable strategic judgments have provided a solid political basis and strategic orientation for bilateral cooperation.
Historically, British diplomacy is famed for its relatively steady and reasonable characteristics, and without much "dramatic" hues. So with regard to Prime Minister Brown's ongoing trip, we are looking forward to a steady and down-to-earth development instead of merely seeking dramatic breakthroughs.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's trip, through which, China hopes to step up the Sino-British strategic dialogue, enhance mutual trust,and deepen cooperation, so as to promote the long-term, healthy development of a strategic partnership, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Tuesday, or January 15.
By People's Daily Online and its author is senior PD desk editor Wang Qing
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