China remains committed to stronger ties and closer cooperation with Britain, hoping to continue to write a new chapter for "Golden Era" of bilateral relations, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said Thursday.
At the Young Icebreakers' Dinner in London, Liu said in his first speech on China-Britain relations after the Brexit Referendum, that "we respect the choice of the British people, we respect Britain's independent choice of its own development path, and we hope the UK and the EU will consult and negotiate and reach an early arrangement that is acceptable to both sides."
China values its relations with Britain, and this position remains unchanged, he said. "Whether the UK is in the EU or not, we will take a strategic and long-term perspective when it comes to China-UK ties, as we always have done."
"We hope that, regardless of any British domestic political changes, a positive relationship with China will continue to be the consensus for both the UK government and opposition political parties," he stressed.
"We also hope that, despite any possible foreign policy adjustments here in the UK, advancing ties with China will continue to be a priority of the UK government," added the ambassador.
"Given the immediate market fluctuations and uncertainties, the Chinese businesses will inevitably need to be more prudent and stay cool-headed. But in the long run, there is no way that our bilateral cooperation should be allowed to go down," Liu noted.
"We are respectively the world's second and fifth largest economies. That means we have so much to offer for each other and there is huge potential for cooperation," he added.
"I am confident that Britain will do all it can to strengthen its economic standing, to attract foreign investors and to keep its door open to Chinese businesses. We hope that the British side will continue to advance cooperation with China on investment and trade in an open and pragmatic manner," he said.
Liu said China continues to attach importance to its cooperation with Britain on global issues. This position remains unchanged.
"China and the UK are now engaged in a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century. This is a strategic choice that our two countries have made. It is based on our respective international responsibilities and obligations," the ambassador said.
"In the coming September, China will host the G20 summit in Hangzhou. We look to work with all the other member states to boost global growth and improve world economic governance. We also look to Britain's support and contribution to the summit," said the envoy.
"It is also our hope that China and the UK will reinforce our cooperation on a series of global issues, including sustainable development, counter-terrorism, anti-corruption, anti-microbial resistance, etc," he said.
"China and the UK, working together, have a great deal to contribute to peace and stability of the world and the sustainable development of humanity," he said.
The Young Icebreakers is a leading network for young China-Britain business leaders, providing a channel to share ideas, raise awareness and promote the achievements of Chinese and British people.
