Chinese vice president calls for joint efforts to build healthy, stable China-UK ties

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng speaks at a welcome dinner hosted by Chinese and British business communities in London, Britain, May 4, 2023. As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, Han arrived earlier Thursday to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III scheduled for Saturday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

LONDON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Thursday called for joint efforts to build healthy and stable China-Britain relations to provide a solid foundation and create a favorable atmosphere for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Han made the appeal at a welcome dinner hosted by Chinese and British business communities in London.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, Han arrived earlier Thursday to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III scheduled for Saturday.

Han said that the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has drawn a grand blueprint for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

"China's development enjoys a strong leadership core, and its domestic and foreign policies are highly consistent and stable," Han said, noting that no matter how the world landscape changes, China will bring more opportunities through its own development and add more certainty and positive energy to the world.

China, as a major trading partner of over 140 countries and regions at present, makes daily direct investments of 320 million U.S. dollars around the world and attracts over 3,000 foreign enterprises to set up business in China every month.

China is committed to economic globalization and high-standard opening-up and stands ready to work with all countries to pursue win-win cooperation and make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and mutually beneficial, said the Chinese vice president.

On China-Britain relations, Han stressed that as Chinese modernization advances, bilateral cooperation will surely embrace a brighter future.

He urged joint efforts to build a healthy and stable China-Britain relationship so as to provide a solid foundation and creat a favorable atmosphere for mutually beneficial cooperation.

"China views Britain's international role and influence from a positive perspective and always treats the country as a strategic partner," Han said, noting that China is ready to grant national treatment to British companies investing in China and steadily expand the high standard two-way institutional opening-up of the capital market.

He voiced hope that Britain will creat an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Britain in international affairs and make positive contributions to global undertakings such as safeguarding world peace and security, coping with climate change and protecting biodiversity, Han added.

He commended the important and positive role the British business community plays in promoting exchanges and cooperation with China, expressing hope that it will continue to contribute wisdom and strength to advancing bilateral relations.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng speaks at a welcome dinner hosted by Chinese and British business communities in London, Britain, May 4, 2023. As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, Han arrived earlier Thursday to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III scheduled for Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Tao)