Full text: China-UK Joint Declaration on Building a Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century

At the invitation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, His Excellency President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China undertook a State Visit to the UK from 19 to 23 October 2015. During the visit, President Xi was received by Her Majesty and senior members of the Royal Family, and held extensive in-depth discussions with Prime Minister David Cameron at No. 10 Downing Street, his Chequers residence, and during a visit to Manchester.

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews an honor guard during his official welcoming ceremony in London. [Photo/Agencies]

Both sides agree that the State Visit by President Xi Jinping, as the culmination of the high-level exchanges this year, provides a historic opportunity for China-UK relations. China and the UK commit to building a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century. This visit opens a golden era in China-UK relations featuring enduring, inclusive and win-win cooperation.

In the last decade, the bilateral relationship has flourished and matured with close high-level exchanges, deeper political trust, fruitful economic cooperation and wider people-to-people contact.

The two sides recognise the global significance and strategic importance of stronger China-UK relations in promoting global peace, stability and prosperity.

Both sides welcome the strengthening economic recovery in the UK and some other advanced economies, but significant risks to the global economy remain. Even as China is undergoing enormous transformation, the two sides firmly believe that the vast size and potential of China's economy will continue to drive strong growth for years to come.

China and the UK regard each other's development as providing important opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Both sides will enhance bilateral trade and investment, and support mutual economic competitiveness and innovation for the benefit of both peoples in the decade ahead.

The two sides will further enhance political trust based on equality and mutual respect, and in that spirit recognise the importance each side attaches to its own political system, development path, core interests and major concerns.

The two sides will increase the frequency, breadth and depth of high-level exchanges to guide the development and increase the potential of their bilateral relations. They will maintain and strengthen such mechanisms as the Annual Prime Minister's Meeting, Economic and Financial Dialogue, High-Level People-to-People Dialogue and Strategic Dialogue. Both sides will continue to promote the exchanges between their legislatures and political parties, and broaden regional and local collaboration between the two countries.