China, Britain seal global partnership with joint declaration

JOINT DECLARATION

Earlier in the day, China and Britain issued a joint declaration on building a "global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century."

In the document, the two sides pledged joint efforts in fields ranging from RMB internationalization and the free trade talks between China and the EU to cyber security and climate change.

Xi's state visit to Britain, the first by a Chinese president in a decade, "opens a golden era" in China-Britain relations featuring enduring, inclusive and win-win cooperation, says the joint declaration.

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

The two sides also vowed to enhance bilateral trade and investment and strengthen political trust based on equality and mutual respect.

Britain "welcomes the progressive participation of Chinese companies in its civil nuclear energy projects," says the declaration, issued one day after Chinese and French companies signed an agreement to cooperate in the building of a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in southwestern England.

Cameron described the deal as "historic" as the project, with a Chinese consortium taking a 33.5-percent stake, will provide reliable, affordable energy to nearly 6 million homes and create more than 25,000 jobs.

The two sides also expressed their strong interest in cooperating on each other's major initiatives, namely China's "Belt and Road" Initiative and Britain's National Infrastructure Plan and the Northern Powerhouse program, and agreed to further discuss a "China-UK infrastructure alliance."

In the declaration, both sides voiced support for the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange to carry out a feasibility study on a stock connection, and Britain reaffirmed its support for the inclusion of RMB into the International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights basket.

Meanwhile, the two countries called for the swift launch of a joint feasibility study on a China-EU free trade agreement.

They also agreed to establish a high-level security dialogue, and not to conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets or confidential business information.

In addition, the two countries pledged to increase multilateral cooperation to help resolve conflicts and tackle the conditions that give rise to terrorism and extremism.