British Prime Minister David Cameron accompanied Xi on his tour of Manchester as the United Kingdom government tries to promote investment in the post-industrial cities of northern England.
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The discussion, as reported by the Chinese foreign ministry, added to controversy about President Xi’s state visit to Britain, which ended in Manchester yesterday.
MANCHESTER, England/BEIJING, October 23 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Britain he wants to see a united European Union, in his most direct comments on Britain’s relationship with Europe before the country’s EU membership referendum.
Xi has been greeted with elaborate British pomp and lavish ceremony on the state visit, the first by a Chinese leader to Britain in a decade.
The four-day trip focused on strengthening relations between London and Beijing, particularly trade ties, and Cameron’s office announced deals worth nearly pound sterling40 billion ($61.6 billion, 54.4 billion euros).
His visit will also include a trip to a soccer academy run by Manchester City and a tour of the National Football Museum.
Britain is seeking Chinese investment in Manchester, which it hopes will become an economic and technological “northern powerhouse” to offset London’s dominance.
The Chinese president had revealed he was keen to sup a few traditional ale during his state visit to the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister duly obliged.
David Cameron was quick to confirm that he was not taking sides in bringing the president to City’s ground, but the Aston Villa fan said he supported West Ham when pressed on the matter during the election, so perhaps that should be taken with a pinch of salt.
During his meeting with the British prime minister, Xi pointed out that the relationship between the two countries is now much more than bilateral but of strategic significance and global influence.
“That’s Chinese investment partnering with British companies, creating thousands of jobs here and at the same time we can have a dialogue about hard issues from steel-making to human rights to cyber security”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Queen Elizabeth II have hailed the sound relations between their countries.
China is also investing £800m into Manchester’s Airport City.
Human rights was however mentioned briefly.
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Shao Jiang, a survivor of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre now based in Britain, said he was shocked to be tackled by police after holding placards in front of Xi’s motorcade in London, and to learn his home had been searched and computers seized while he was in custody.
