British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will pay an official visit
to China from Jan. 18 to 20, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu
announced on Tuesday at a regular press conference.
Currently, China-Britain relations have maintained a good
momentum of development with increased high-level exchanges and
reinforced strategic mutual trust, said Jiang.
Since taking office in June 2007, Brown has held phone talks
twice with Premier Wen Jiabao and sent letters to him.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi paid a successful visit to London
last December and the two countries held the second round of
strategic dialogue in Beijing last year, said Jiang.
Meanwhile, bilateral trade and economic cooperation have enjoyed
continued development with Britain remaining the biggest investor
in China among the EU members.
Last year, the trade volume between China and Britain was
estimated to have reached 40 billion U.S. dollars and fruitful
results have also been achieved in cooperation in key areas such as
finance, education, science and technology, culture, sanitation,
sports, environmental protection and sustainable development.
Both China and Britain are permanent members of UN Security
Council and influential countries in the world. The further
development of their bilateral ties conforms to the basic interests
of the two nations as well as the two peoples and is conducive to
the world peace, stability and prosperity, said Jiang.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to Brown's
visit and is willing to seek the opportunity to strengthen
strategic dialogue, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation and
push for long-term healthy and stable development of a
comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, she
added.
This will be Brown's first visit to China since he assumed
office last year.
?
Britain's Prime
Minister Gordon Brown (C) poses for photographers with Chinese
Premiership soccer players Dong Fangzhuo (L) of Manchester United
and Zheng Zhi of Charlton Athletic, during a reception with members
of the British Chinese community at 10 Downing Street, London
January 14, 2008.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2008)
