Embrace Golden Decade for China-UK Ties

From Oct. 19 to Oct. 23， Chinas President Xi Jinping is scheduled to conduct a one-week state visit to the United Kingdom， which is the first state visit by a Chinese president to the UK in a decade. The last Chinese head of state to visit Britain was then-president Hu Jintao in 2005.

Tony Blair， former British prime minister， said that the upcoming visit will usher in a “golden decade”and a new dimension for cooperation between the two countries. Cooperation in infrastructure construction， energy and finance are expected to be high on the agenda.

Through joint efforts， the two countries have overcome difficulties and obstacles to maintain sound development toward mature and stable relations. Currently， China is Britains fourth-largest trading partner， while Britain is Chinas second-largest trading partner in the European Union and a top destination for Chinese investment. Last year， the trade between the two countries exceeded 80 billion US dollars.

During the 2014-15 fiscal year， Chinese investment created more than 6，000 jobs in Britain， and this year， with 112 projects in the UK， Chinese investment ranked fourth among all foreign countries， making the country the top job creator among developing countries.

Chinese companies have made a significant contribution to the British economy through growth and employment. More than 500 Chinese companies have established offices in Britain， expanding into advanced manufacturing， infrastructure， financial services， telecommunication， brand networking， and research and development.

According to Mr. Blair， the state visit is possible to get to an even higher and increased level of cooperation， not just economically but politically.

The China-Britain Business Council， an organization that helps British companies expand into China， also had high expectations for Mr. Xis visit.

Chief executive Stephen Phillips said the visit would mark a “new high point” in relations and “an opportunity to deepen UK-China commercial ties” and do more business in British， Chinese and other markets.

During the one-week state visit， discussions between the two countries wil include Chinas Belt and Road Initiative， which will see new and exciting opportunities emerge both with China and beyond， with revitalized trade and investment links through Central Asia and into Europe.

Besides， the leaders will draw a blueprint for ChinaUK relations and start a golden era of the ties. Deals signed during the visit will cover such areas as finance， real estate， energy， healthcare and the automobile industry， Assistant Minister of Commerce Zhang Ji told the news conference.

Undoubtedly， the presidential visit will be a milestone， as it opens a new chapter for bilateral ties.