Time ripe to rev China-Britain ties to higher gear

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Britain on the threshold of the second decade of China-Britain comprehensive strategic partnership has ushered in a "golden time" for bilateral relations, offering the two countries an opportunity to rev their ties into higher gear.

The China-Britain ties, after 65 years of remarkable development since the British recognition of the People's Republic of China in 1950, is mature for a new type of relations featuring pragmatism, inclusiveness, openness and win-win results.

In the global sphere, China and Britain have maintained close cooperation from fighting the Ebola epidemic in West Africa to solving the Iran nuclear issue, consolidating the basis for their further in-depth and comprehensive cooperation.

On the economic front, while global growth has slowed down, China-Britain investment and business cooperation has kept growing. Britain has become the EU's second largest investor in China as well as China's second largest trading partner and investment destination in the EU. China has been Britain's second largest non-EU trading partner.

Britain has stated that it will be the Western country that is most open to China, Xi noted in an interview with Reuters ahead of his British trip.

"This is a visionary and strategic choice that fully meets Britain's own long-term interest," the Chinese president said.

Furthermore, public opinion survey conducted in Britain show that views of China are largely favorable among the British people. The two peoples appreciate each other's time-honored and unique cultures. "This is an important foundation and favorable condition for growing bilateral ties," Xi said.

Adding to the momentum of the bilateral ties is the deeper integration of their development strategies.

China and Britain are in the middle of a crucial docking of their development strategies. As the British government regards China's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge, bilateral interests and cooperation have more room to grow and prosper.

The British government has introduced ambitious plans on upgrading infrastructure, building the Northern powerhouse in England and implementing the strategy of UK Industry 2050. These plans and the "Road and Belt Initiative" and the initiatives of "Made in China 2025" and "Internet Plus" undertaken by China complement each other in many ways, Xi listed.

China is ready to partner with Britain in the spirit of inclusiveness, opening up and seeking win-win progress through cooperation to upgrade and expand cooperation to deliver more benefits to our two peoples, he pledged.

Financial cooperation has been a highlight in China-Britain cooperation. London has become one of the most dynamic and most important RMB trading centers and offshore RMB markets. It can leverage its unique strengths to get actively involved in the modernization and globalization of China's financial market.

Given the momentum of development and potential for further growth enjoyed by the bilateral ties, one can say that Xi's ongoing state visit will prompt the two sides to fill up their tank and smoothly rev their ties into higher gear.