Xi says China, Britain should remain firm as partners, strengthen dialogue and cooperation

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that China and Britain should remain firm as partners, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and benefit the two countries and the world through a stable and mutually beneficial China-Britain relationship.

Xi made the remarks during his phone talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the latter's request, during which he congratulated Starmer on assuming office as British prime minister.

Xi noted that the current international situation is volatile and intertwined, he said that China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world, should view bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, remain firm as partners, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and benefit the two countries and the world through a stable and mutually beneficial China-Britain relationship.

China is committed to advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation on all fronts via Chinese modernization, and sticking to the path of peaceful development, Xi said, expressing his hope that Britain can view China in an objective and rational way.

Xi noted that the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made strategic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernization, adding that China will accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, and push forward a new type of industrialization, which will provide more new opportunities for countries around the world including Britain.

China stands ready to engage in equal dialogue with Britain on the basis of mutual respect, enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust, strengthen synergy of development strategies with Britain, expand cooperation in such fields as finance, green economy and artificial intelligence as well as deepen people-to-people exchanges, to make mutual benefit and win-win the main tone of China-Britain relations, Xi said.

Xi said that the Chinese side attaches great importance to the British side's desire to enhance contact and dialogue, adding that China is willing to maintain exchanges at all levels with the British side to push for stable and far-reaching bilateral relations and jointly promote world peace and development.