Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who paid a four-day official visit to Beijing, agreed on Thursday that China and Britain should develop a long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership.
Xi stressed that in today's world of change and turbulence, the China and Britain - both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies - should strengthen dialogue and cooperation, to maintain world peace and stability while supporting the economy and the living standards of their citizens.
He called for overcoming differences and maintaining mutual respect, so that the potential of cooperation can be translated into concrete results and open up new opportunities for Sino-British relations that will benefit the people of both countries and the world.
He stressed that China has never gone to war or occupied foreign territory and its development will never be a threat to other countries. Starmer's visit was the first official visit by a British Prime Minister to Beijing in eight years.
Xi also stressed that mutual benefit and win-win outcomes are at the heart of economic and trade cooperation between China and Britain, and called for expanded cooperation in the area of education, health, finance and services. Both sides should also implement joint research and industrial application in the fields of artificial intelligence, biosciences, new energies and low-carbon technologies, to achieve shared development and prosperity.
„The British side should ensure a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises,“ Xi said. He also called for strengthening human and cultural exchanges and ease of travel. Members of the UK Government, Parliament and other sectors are welcome to visit China more frequently to develop a balanced and objective perception of the country.
Xi also noted that the international order has been seriously disrupted recently, and stressed that international law can only be effective if all countries, especially the superpowers, abide by it. Otherwise, a return to the „law of the jungle“ was imminent.
In conclusion, President Xi said that China and Britain, as advocates of multilateralism and free trade, should jointly promote and practice true multilateralism, encourage a fairer and more equitable system of global governance, build a flat and orderly multipolar world and promote a global economy that is inclusive and benefits all.