British communities laud outcomes of Chinese president's visit

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. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Oct. 24 -- 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.

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.

ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION PULLS COMMON GROWTH

A huge number of commercial deals signed between China and Britain during Xi's visit will bring job opportunities to Britain, said Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo, an international relations and international political economy expert at King's College London.

The deals also meet the needs of the Chinese government and enterprises to explore new business opportunities, said Pardo.

Bennett said that cooperation projects on nuclear power stations between the two countries have drawn great attention, and the extensiveness and diversification of cooperation agreements between them also deserve to be focused on.

The British newspaper Daily Telegraph has published an article on its website entitled "Hinkley is not kowtowing to China -- this is a two way street," referring the participation of Chinese companies in building of a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in southwestern England.

The agreements signed during Xi's visit should be viewed in a positive way, it said, noting "Not only should our strengthened relationship with China be seen as a good thing... it should also be viewed as a way of allowing British business to take a bite out of the world's second largest, and fastest growing, major economy."

"I feel that this is a powerful time in UK-China relations, the outcomes of President Xi's visit are reflective of this with important announcements in several key sectors of our economies such as low-carbon transportation, energy, property, education and infrastructure," said James Brodie, Britain-China Business Council Scotland Manager.

"Details of further improved visa regulations for outbound Chinese visitors are also to be welcomed, especially for somewhere like Scotland which has a thriving tourism market that receives an increasing number of Chinese tourists each year," Brodie told Xinhua on Thursday.

"Our two economies are currently well matched for mutual benefit and I believe that this will continue for the foreseeable future," Brodie added.

PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT BENEFIT WORLD

As the world's most populous country, second-largest economy, and with an increasingly important diplomatic role, China needs to cooperate with other countries, said Pardo.

China's strategies for peace and development feed its current new responsibilities, and benefit the Chinese people as well as people of the whole world, said Pardo.

Since its founding in 1949, China has been advocating international relations for peace as well as sincere and friendly co-existence with other countries on the basis of equality, said Bennett.

The idea for the community of common destiny for mankind is wise, profound, with common prosperity as its core, Bennett said.

China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the BRICS (a bloc embracing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), among others, all are components of the community aimed at reaching a shared, prosperous and harmonious future.