​Chinese president eyes more stable, rapid development of ties with Britain

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met here with British Prime Minister Theresa May amid the Group of 20 (G20) summit, calling for more stable, rapid and sound development of bilateral relations.

Xi recalled his meeting with May on the sidelines of the G20 summit held in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou in September last year when the two leaders reaffirmed the general direction of the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations.

With efforts of both sides, the two countries have deepened strategic mutual trust and promoted pragmatic cooperation in various fields to a high level, Xi said.

As 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Britain diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, the development of bilateral ties face new opportunities, Xi said.

China is willing to work with Britain to lift the global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century to a higher level, so as to better benefit the two peoples, he added.

Xi stressed that bilateral relations should be cultivated on the basis of reinforced strategic mutual trust.

The two sides should adhere to the principle of mutual respect and equality, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, he added.

The two countries should maintain close high-level exchanges and institutional dialogues in various fields, so as to make top-level planning for a sustainable and stable development of bilateral ties, he said.

Xi said that strengthening pragmatic cooperation is the pillar in developing China-Britain relations.

The two countries should strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields and enhance the synergy of the two countries' development agendas within the framework of the the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

The two countries can also deepen cooperation in finance and nuclear energy sectors, as well as promote people-to-people exchanges, he added.

He said that cementing international coordination is a highlight in the development of bilateral relations.

The two countries should strengthen cooperation and coordination in international and regional issues, deepen exchanges within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, the G20 and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Xi said.

China and Britain need to seek common ground while shelving differences, and preserve the overall development of bilateral ties through concrete efforts to achieve more stable, rapid and sound development of bilateral relations, he added.

May said that Britain is committed to boosting the global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century between the two countries, and sticking to the general direction of the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations.

Britain values China's great influence on major global issues, while the two sides share common interests in many fields, she said.

Britain will give full play to the bilateral high-level dialogue mechanisms, expand cooperation with China in such fields as trade, investment, culture, and security, as well as closely communicate and coordinate with China on international and regional hotspot issues, she added.

She said that Britain is willing to actively take part in cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in areas such as finance.