I am delighted to welcome you all here today for the UK National Day at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

I am also delighted that the head of the Chinese Delegation on this UK National Day is Madame Fu Ying, who was a very distinguished Ambassador for China in London until earlier this year, and who has personally done a huge amount of work in building understanding between our two countries.

In this national day event we are celebrating the UK's links with China. Through the UK Pavilion, and this performance today, we invite you to join us in celebrating the strong and growing partnership between our two countries.

I think that today's performance is a fine example of our strong partnership in action. I am the Patron of English National Ballet and it is my personal pleasure to share their work with you.

I know that you will enjoy this performance and collaboration between English National Ballet and the Shanghai Ballet. This performance has been developed jointly by young dancers from across China and the UK. I salute their commitment to working together to produce world class performances, despite the physical distance between the dancers in rehearsal.

In addition to our strong and growing cultural links, which this programme demonstrates, the UK and China are strong partners in many other areas. We share global responsibilities, not least in the United Nations, but also a shared role in framing the international agenda and in building links across a broad range of issues — from low carbon development, science and innovation, to sport, culture, education and of course trade and investment.

Over the last few years, links between our people have increased rapidly; and this Shanghai Expo has played an important role in promoting greater knowledge of the United Kingdom to many Chinese. Expo highlights how the flow of knowledge and experience, and the building of trust and understanding through close and di rect links often repeated are the basis of an effective and strong partnership. The theme of this Expo - "Better City, Better Life" — is all about facing common challenges, and finding solutions — to World problems.

I am sure that in the years ahead, the UK and China will continue to move forward in our relations across a broad range of issues and collaborations. We are both beneficiaries of the globalisation agenda. And our two economies are complementary. I can assure you that UK companies are well placed to contribute, as partners, to China's future economic development, both domestically and globally —including in areas such as technology, intellectual capital, the financial services, management and training.

Increasing both of our external trading and investment relationships is going to be a key part of our respective economic strategies. So it's no surprise that the recently elected British Government attaches such high importance to our strategic part nership with China, which is acknowledged to be a key source of growth in the global economy today, and in the future.

We acknowledge your position as the middle kingdom of the world, in a similar way to our only recent historical position at the centre of the world along the Greenwich Meridian. Our newly appointed Chancellor George Osborne visited China in May and clearly enunciated that Great Britain is open for business. In July, the new Foreign Secretary William Hague visited China he also clearly said to the Chinese leadership that the UK and China should be global partners for growth.

I believe that greater business cooperation and collaboration between China and the UK on a global scale should be part of both our nation's economic development strategy. The UK and China, as two of the biggest net beneficiaries of globalisation, are well placed to work together in this common cause; and to make a reality of being true partners.

Turning my attention on to Shanghai Expo, I am delighted to hear that the UK pavilion has now welcomed well over 5 million visitors. And, Online, many hundreds of millions of visitors; the response from the Chinese public, from business and from the many VIPs whom we have welcomed here continues to exceed our expectations. The UK pavilion has been a fantastic platform for demonstrating that the UK is a modern, innovative, 21st Century nation with an economy to match. Messages I hope that will resonate in the years ahead.

I invite you all, if you have not already had a chance to do so, to visit the UK pavilion; to come along and experience it for yourselves, while you still have a chance, or to visit Online. Our pavilion team will offer you a warm welcome. We are honoured and delighted that our pavilion, the "Dandelion", has been chosen as the most creative at Expo; and that it has been awarded the Lubetkin prize, as the most outstanding building project overseas by a British designer in 2010. I would like to extend a huge debt of thanks to the creativity and vision of our designer, Thomas Heatherwick. 1 cannot forget to mention as well the energy and commitment of our team at Expo. I would also like to conclude by thanking the sponsors of the UK pavilion at Expo, who have supported the UK Expo team on this journey of discovery, and shared in the project's enormous impact.

Lastly all good things have to come to an end; and after Expo, like a real dandelion, the seed rods from the UK pavilion will be dispersed; to schools and institutes in China and the UK — truly sowing the seeds to grow our co-operation at all levels; my sincere congratulations once again the Chinese Government and to the people of Shanghai for their success in hosting this 2010 Expo.