China, Britain lift ties to "global" level

LONDON, Oct. 21 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that his country and Britain will build a "global comprehensive strategic partnership" in the 21st century.

The two countries will open up a golden era of enduring, inclusive and win-win relationship and jointly create a brighter future for bilateral relations, Xi told a joint news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron after their talks.

Describing the meeting as "productive," Xi said they have reached important agreement on many issues.

China and Britain are both major countries with significant influence, and now their partnership is standing at a new starting point, the president said, urging them to seize opportunities to promote their ties.

Xi said that during his visit to Britain, some inter-governmental and business cooperation documents will be signed, including one concerning the Hinkley Point nuclear power station, which Cameron said would provide reliable, affordable energy to nearly 6 million homes and create more than 25,000 jobs.

Trade and investment between the two sides have been surging these years, and financial and infrastructure cooperation has also been deepening, as the two countries have agreed to conjoin China's "Belt and Road" Initiative with Britain's "Northern Powerhouse" project.

"Our relationship goes beyond trade and investment," said Cameron, whose country has pledged to become China's best friend in the West.

Calling China and Britain "global powers" with shared interests in a stable and modern world, he said that as permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two countries should deepen cooperation across the globe.

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a senior lecturer in international relations with King's College London, said it is time to lift the China-Britain relationship to a new level.

Economic links still dominate Britain-China relations, yet issues ranging from climate change to post-conflict reconstruction are now part of the relationship as well, Pardo said.

Noting that British perceptions of China have been improving over the past few years, he said that despite the misgivings that some have about Chinese foreign and economic policy, for the most part Britain has recognized that China is becoming more of a cooperation partner.