On May 11, 2004, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom met in Buckingham Palace with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council who was paying an official visit to London. The two sides held cordial and friendly talks.

Premier Wen conveyed the greetings from President Hu Jintao to the Queen. He said Her Majesty Queen, as the first head of state from the United Kingdom, visited China in 1986, which has contributed significantly to promoting the development of China-UK relations and to enhancing the understanding and friendship between the two peoples. China thinks highly of the efforts made by Her Majesty Queen and the British Royal Family in promoting bilateral relations.

Wen said during his visit to the United Kingdom, the two sides issued a joint statement and decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the United Kingdom. Both sides also identified key areas for future cooperation. China-UK economic and trade ties have witnessed rapid development and the two countries have become important cooperation partners for each other with bilateral trade and the UK's investment in China both ranking high in the EU countries. There are no pending problems in bilateral relations but common interests and solid foundation for cooperation. The two sides should make joint efforts to expand bilateral cooperation in such areas as education, science and technology as well as culture.

Queen Elizabeth II asked Premier Wen to convey her best wishes for President Hu. She said relations between the two countries have been developing very smoothly. Not only economic and trade cooperation has been very close, but personnel exchanges have also been very frequent. A great number of talented Chinese students are studying in the United Kingdom, which is very conducive to the promotion of bilateral relations. She also expected the two sides to expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields.