In a significant meeting on the sidelines of the 19th G20 Leaders’ Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for China and the United Kingdom to adopt a rational and objective perspective on each other’s development. Meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, Xi emphasized the importance of enhancing strategic communication and deepening political mutual trust to ensure the steady, substantial, and enduring development of bilateral relations.
“China and Britain, both as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major global economies, share the responsibility of advancing their respective national development and addressing global challenges,” Xi stated. He highlighted that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, making cooperation between the two nations more crucial than ever.
Acknowledging the differences in history, culture, values, and social systems, Xi stressed that China and Britain share extensive common interests. He pointed out vast opportunities for cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, clean energy, financial services, healthcare, and improving people’s well-being. “We should expand these areas of cooperation to better benefit the people of both nations,” he urged.
Xi called for both countries to promote political solutions to global issues, strengthen global governance on artificial intelligence, and contribute to world economic growth and the common development of all countries.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed Xi’s sentiments, noting that Britain and China share extensive common interests and bear significant responsibilities in addressing global challenges and safeguarding world peace and development. “An enduring and strong bilateral relationship is vital not only for our two countries but also for the world at large,” Starmer said.
Starmer expressed Britain’s hope to strengthen dialogue with China, enhance mutual understanding, and carry out exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy and trade, technology, finance, healthcare, education, and addressing climate change, in a spirit of mutual respect, equality, and candor.
“Both countries are committed to multilateralism, and Britain stands ready to enhance multilateral communication and coordination with China to push for political solutions to regional hotspot issues,” he added.
The meeting between the two leaders signals a potential positive shift in China-UK relations, with both nations recognizing the importance of collaboration in a rapidly changing global landscape.
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Xi calls on China, UK to adopt objective perspective on development
cgtn.com
