China and the Britain should uphold their strategic partnership and open up new prospects for bilateral relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said when meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit on Monday in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro.
Xi recalled the phone talks between the two leaders back in August, during which they reached a consensus on viewing China-UK relations from a long-term and strategic perspective and enhancing dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.
He said he looks forward to maintaining regular communication with Starmer and asked the British prime minister to convey his sincere greetings to King Charles III.
Noting that both China and the UK are major economies, Xi said that the two countries should shoulder their responsibilities not only for their own countries' development but also to promote greater cooperation among the international community.
"Currently, the world is in a period of turbulence and transformation. As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major world economies, both China and the UK bear the responsibility of advancing the development of their respective countries, while also shouldering the duty of addressing global challenges. The new UK government is committed to fixing the economy and rebuilding the country, proposing to re-engage with the international community. China is further deepening reforms comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, sharing development opportunities with countries around the world and promoting unity and cooperation within the international community," Xi said.
The Chinese president also underscored the need for the two countries to further enhance cooperation in multiple areas so as to benefit the two peoples.
"China and the UK have vast cooperation potential in trade and investment, clean energy, financial services, healthcare, and people's well-being. Both sides should aim to better promote development, serve the people, and benefit the world. The two countries should uphold the strategic partnership, adhere to mutual respect, open cooperation, exchange and mutual learning, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. This will open up new prospects for China-UK relations amidst global changes, and better reflect the value of the era and global significance of the bilateral relationship," said Xi.
For his part, Starmer said that Britain and China share extensive common interests and bear significant responsibilities in addressing global challenges and safeguarding world peace and development, adding that an enduring and strong bilateral relationship is vital not only for the two countries but also for the world at large.
The British side hopes to strengthen dialogue with China, enhance mutual understanding and carry out exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy and trade, technology, finance, healthcare, education, and addressing climate change, in a spirit of mutual respect, equality and candor, said Starmer.
Both countries are committed to multilateralism, and Britain stands ready to enhance multilateral communication and coordination with China to push for political solutions to regional hotspot issues, he added.
The 19th G20 Summit will take place on Monday and Tuesday, under the theme of "Building a just world and a sustainable planet".
Xi calls on China, UK to adopt rational, objective perspective on each other's development
Xi calls on China, UK to adopt rational, objective perspective on each other's development
