British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives today for his first state visit to China since taking office. His predecessor and Labour Party comrade Tony Blair visited this country three times during his 10 years in office. Brown's visit gives prominence to the China factor in his government's new global diplomatic strategy and serves as an important connecting point between the past and future for the consolidation and deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the United Kingdom.
The China-UK relationship has a long history and is one of the most important factors in contemporary China-European ties. The UK is the first Western country to recognize the People's Republic of China after it was founded in 1949. And the two sides reached an agreement to exchange charges d'affairs in 1954, and signed the Joint Communique on the Agreement on the Exchanges of Ambassadors in 1972.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and the UK have seen their bilateral ties gradually improving despite periodic turbulence. Particularly noteworthy is that the two nations saw through the smooth return of Hong Kong's administration to China with a Labour government in London and they formed a comprehensive strategic partnership in 1997.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, China and Britain have conducted proactive and effective talks and dialogue in multiple areas. They have also stepped up and expanded political cooperation in strategic security, anti-proliferation, and realizing a low-carbon economy and sustainable development. Both sides agreed to push for the making of a safer, more prosperous and more open world, ensure the United Nations Charter is better respected and make joint efforts in reaching the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
In 2004, Premier Wen Jiabao signed the China-UK Joint Declaration during his visit to Britain - the milestone document that raised the bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The comprehensive strategic partnership has been maturing as the two countries' strategic interests meet more frequently. The Labour government has always maintained the one-China policy and opposed the Taiwan authorities' plan to hold a referendum over joining the UN.
Prime Minister Brown attaches great importance to UK-China relations and has visited China several times. He is particularly well-informed about China's economy. In 2005, he paid his first visit to China as finance minister and signed a joint statement with his Chinese counterpart on further cooperation.
He believes that the fast rise of India and China has brought more hope to the world and the Group of Eight (G8) must include emerging economies of considerable influence. In a speech delivered before departure, he said the UK-China relations were "very solid" and a couple of China-themed cultural events to be held in London would be "very significant events".
The Chinese and British economies are dynamic in their own ways and are competitors and partners in cooperation at the same time. Their highly inter-complimentary relationship has produced win-win results in bilateral, economic and trade cooperation.
The UK tops the EU for investment in China and is China's third largest trade partner. Bilateral trade value was $30.67 billion in 2006 and then grew by 30 percent in the first quarter of 2007, with the annual total for the year expected to hit $37 billion.
Globalization has brought Britain a tremendous opportunity. Its economy is the freest in Europe, making it the first choice in Europe for many foreign investors and a springboard for emerging economies to plunge into the EU market. Closer cooperation between China and the UK will help both of them better handle future global challenges.
London is the financial and insurance center of the world. The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in London has been developing at an amazing pace, is very effective for fast-growing companies and the first choice for Chinese enterprises seeking to be listed overseas. Fifty-one Chinese enterprises had been listed on the AIM by the end of 2006. And Britain is interested in cooperating with China in developing pension and insurance fund services.
A growing number of British enterprises have entered the Chinese market in recent years. The front-runners include those in the service industry, which have blazed a trail in China with their expertise in banking, retail, insurance and other services.
The number of Chinese non-government-owned enterprises investing in the UK is increasing as well. Lenovo, Huawei and ZTE are just a few bigger companies among several hundred Chinese enterprises operating in Britain today. Cooperation in labor exchange is another highlight of the inter-complimentary nature of the two countries' economic and trade ties.
A rare opportunity to deepen China-UK cooperation significantly lies in three international events - the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 2012 London Olympiad.
Britain's achievements in the financial services, innovation and sustainable urban development industries, and world-leading technology in such areas as clean energy, bio-fuels, new materials and environmental protection mean much more potential for China-UK cooperation and trade.
Since he moved in at 10 Downing Street last June, Brown has called for international cooperation, recognition of common interests, international policy adjustments and the construction of a global society. He kicked off his foreign policy maneuver by adjusting the UK-US relations in an attempt to go beyond the "special bond" between the two traditional allies and shake off the negative impact from Britain's participation in the war in Iraq. At the same time, he has carried on his predecessor's policy of identifying with Europe and emphasizing reform, but with his own touch.
An old Chinese saying has it that a man reaches intellectual maturity at 40. The China-UK diplomatic ties are approaching this kind of maturity. It will be the best time for the development of their bilateral relationship between now and then. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Britain have common interests in maintaining world peace and security and advancing joint development and prosperity.
The author is a researcher with China Institute of International Studies
(China Daily January 18, 2008)
