On February 29, 2008, Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo met with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The two leaders held talks on a wide range of issues.

Dai stressed that since its reform and opening up 30 years ago China has unswervingly followed the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and made great achievements. Standing at a new historical starting point and faced with both opportunities and challenges, we will continue to emancipate the mind, insist on reform and opening up, stick to scientific, harmonious and peaceful development, pursue the opening-up strategy for mutual benefit and win-win outcome and work with other countries to push for the building of a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity.

Miliband noted that it takes China 30 years to accomplish the development achievements which other countries might have to spend a hundred years to make. In the globalized era, both Britain and China face the tasks of realizing national development, harmony and stability and promoting international peace, security and cooperation. Britain supports China's development and expects to conduct exchanges and expand cooperation with China on how to run the state and learn from each other's experience.