Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and British Prime Minister David Cameron meet media after their talks at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, Oct. 21, 2015. (Photo: Xinhua/Ju Peng)
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a successful state visit to Britain from Monday to Friday, which was not only valued by Britain's political leaders, but also drew extensive attention from the country's media, scholars and the public.[Special coverage]
Various communities in Britain believe that Xi's visit has profoundly promoted British-Chinese relations and opened a golden era of the global comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, while Britain should catch this opportunity to grow together with China.
GOLDEN RELATIONS SET EXAMPLE FOR COOPERATION
In an article recently published by British newspaper The Observer, British Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne wrote: "It's in Britain's interest to bond with China now."
"We want a golden relationship with China that will help foster a golden decade for this country. It is an opportunity that the UK can't afford to miss," he said.
"We need to double our efforts to strengthen our economic links, help British firms enter there, and attract more investment into the UK and the northern provinces," he said.
"Rather than standing back and being left behind, we must make the most of the opportunities that a growing China presents to us," he added.
In an article published on the website of British newspaper The Guardian, Martin Jacques said: "(British Prime Minister David) Cameron's claim that the UK could be 'China's best partner in the West' was not empty rhetoric, nor was the idea of a 'golden decade' in Sino-British relations."
"...it shows how Britain can prosper in the Asian-oriented and China-centric world rapidly unfolding before us," said the professor at the Department of Politics and International Studies of Cambridge University.
Keith Bennett, a veteran China watcher, told Xinhua that the outcomes of Xi's state visit showed that the British-Chinese ties have the potential to become a model for handling relations between a major developing country and a major developed country, a model for handling relations between permanent members of the UN Security Council, and a model for handling relations between countries with different social systems.
Strategic topics and big economic and trade deals perhaps were the highlights of the visit, but the visit was an all-around and multi-level one, said Bennett, who is also the deputy chairman of the 48 Group Club, an independent business network committed to promoting positive relations between Britain and China.
