Chinese President Xi Jinping (4th R) and his wife Peng Liyuan are accompanied by British Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, as they attend a creative industry event in London, Britain, Oct. 21, 2015. (Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Duo)
Sharing one umbrella in typical London rain, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Britain's Prince William viewed a James Bond sports car from Britain's iconic automaker Aston Martin that will be equipped with an entertainment system with Chinese technology.[Special coverage]
The visiting Chinese leader and his wife, Peng Liyuan, joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Wednesday morning at a creative industry event at Lancaster House celebrating cultural collaboration between China and Britain.
"China and Britain are both cultural powers. We should enhance creative cultural exchanges and improve mutual understanding between our two peoples through cultural products," said the president during a warm conversation with Prince William.
The Creative Collaboration Showcase demonstrates how the two countries are working increasingly together in the creative sector, sharing knowledge and expertise, and forming partnerships that benefit and enrich both markets and economies.
Aston Martin, a British car brand best known for its association with James Bond, is turning to China for additional technology for its super cars by forging a cooperative relationship with Chinese online entertainment company LeTV.
"We are working on some advanced engineering with LeTV to put their TV technology into our car," Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Xinhua at Lancaster House.
Stopping by the booth of Chinese auto company BYD, the two couples learned that London's famous red double-decker bus now has a Chinese designer and producer.
BYD has transformed London's traditional cultural icon into the first purpose-built, emission-free double-decker in the world. And later this year, London will become the first city to operate them.
A growing number of Chinese companies and individuals are seeing Britain as an innovation hub, and there has been cooperation between the two countries' film, television and gaming industries.
While Sherlock, Downton Abbey and James Bond have enchanted many Chinese, British museums and leisure attractions are taking their first steps into the Chinese market. The Victoria and Albert Museum has joined the construction of a new design museum in Shenzhen, China, and Merlin Entertainments is planning theme parks across China.
Chinese cultural success is firmly established in Britain, with music stars such as Sa Dingding and fashion houses such as Shanghai Tang gaining popularity in the European country.
At Lancaster House, Xi and Peng, with William and Kate, also watched a presentation of a documentary about Confucius jointly produced by Chinese and British moviemakers.
Xi's ongoing state visit to Britain "reinforces the strong ties between our two countries and provides the opportunity to increase our close cultural, economic and diplomatic relations," said David Puttnam, a British film producer and educator.
He said he believes that there is much for China and Britain to learn from their distinctive cultural and business strengths.
Earlier Wednesday, Xi and Peng visited Data Science Institute and the Hamlyn Center at the prestigious Imperial College London, accompanied by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Chinese president encouraged the students to contribute to bilateral cooperation in science and technology for the two countries' common prosperity.
The Imperial College London, founded in 1907, has about 13,000 students, 2,000 of whom are from China.
