Xi’s visit to Britain, during which he and his wife Peng Liyuan will stay at Buckingham Palace as guests of Queen Elizabeth II, will also include meetings with various members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles, who has been a vocal supporter of the Dalai Lama for years.
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Kerry Brown, a former British diplomat in China and the author of a forthcoming book on Xi, has said that Britain’s China policy is clearly being dictated by the Treasury, with thorny issues such as human rights pushed to one side. The expansion meant it leapfrogged Britain – presently ranked fifth for GDP – to become second only to the United States. That was followed by up a visit to London by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in 2014, resulting in another billion in trade deals. And the 150-strong delegation of business leaders accompanying Xi will be sowing the seeds of future deals.
In the Commons Mr Cameron said the UK’s relationship with China was “at such a high level that there is no subject off the table” and added that “of course” the steel industry would be discussed. “But times have changed …”
“There has been quite a lot of exploration of cooperation among Chinese operating companies and Europeans, and also cooperation of Chinese finance with European finance”, said Stephen Green, who served as British Minister of State for Trade and Investment from 2011 to 2013.
A strengthened relationship between China and Britain is the expected outcome of President Xi Jinping’s five-day state visit, from October 19-23.
Britain Meets China, is the story of two buddy nations who have a lot in common. China knows that should it ever use critical infrastructure investment as a cover for inappropriate activity, Chinese investment will not be allowed to see the light of day again, anywhere in the West. “We have the best record of delivering safe nuclear”.
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, center left, and Chinese Vice President Massachusetts Kai, center right, applause as they witness a signing ceremony of the 7th China-UK strategic economic dialogue “Roundtable on Public-Private Partnerships” at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Monday, September 21, 2015 in Beijing.
The burgeoning relations are controversial for a few, with The Economist magazine saying Britain was “sleepwalking” into relations with China, while the Daily Telegraph newspaper said there was “an very bad lot of kowtowing to Chinese sensitivities and interests”.
Development strategies of both countries can be enriched through cooperation.
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In a rare Reuters interview, Xi praised Britain for its visionary choice of opting to be China’s closest western partner. “No doubt, China’s equity markets will respond patriotically, albeit with a few official encouragement, to whichever numbers the NBS report”.
