Overseas scholars speak highly of President Xi Jinping’s speech during UK visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United Kingdom (UK) from October 19 to 23 at the invitation of British Queen Elizabeth II. During the four-day visit, President Xi participated in several bilateral activities, got in touch with people from all walks of life and delivered significant speeches, raising strong resonance from overseas scholars.

Sherry Madera, Minister-Counselor of the UK Trade & Investment （UKTI）, said that President Xi talks about so knowledgeably the culture of Britain in his speech at the Guildhall in London. It effectively enhances mutual understanding between the two peoples and will also improve ties between the two governments and business circles of China and the UK.

President Xi shows his humor and impressive knowledge of Britain as well as objective views on China-UK relations in his speech. The far-sighted Chinese leader will bring huge opportunities for China-UK coordination and cooperation, said Doug Barrow, Chief Executive of Maritime London.

Jing Men, Director of the EU-China Research Center at the College of Europe, said that in the history of China-UK relations, the current bilateral ties are optimal. As the UK plays a significant role in the EU, developing China-UK relations will create more beneficial conditions for China to develop economic cooperation with other EU members as well as to spread the “voice of China” in the EU.

Cha Jae-bok, a scholar of Northeast Asian History Foundation of South Korea, said, as the two peoples once built deep friendship during the WW II, it conforms to the will of the two peoples to develop China-UK relations. Such deep friendship and social basis can become the engine of promoting relations between the two countries.

The wind from China hoists the UK’s sail. As China promotes global economic growth through its growth and capital, it is correct for the UK to develop cooperation with China, said Russian political economist Sergei Kharitonov.

President Xi’s speech shows the spirit of China’s peaceful development and passes a signal to other countries that no one should treat the future development of the world with the theory of zero-sum game, said Cheng Li, director of the John L. Thornton China Center and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings.

China is always committed to the path of peaceful development and has made concrete plans for its development. Meanwhile, China brings a large number of development opportunities for the world and keeps mutual beneficial cooperation with developing countries, said Ronnie Lins, CEO of the Center China & Brazil: Research and Business (CBC).

Severino Cabral, Director of the Brazilian Institute for China and Asia-Pacific Studies, said, at present, the China-EU cooperation also participates in developing African and Latin American countries which expands cooperation and strengthens the possibility of development. The path of peaceful development advocated by China can be a salutary experience for other countries, and China’s development is an opportunity to the whole world.

Translated by Zhang Zhou/ GMW.cn