On February 2, 2009, speaking at a joint news conference with his British counterpart Gordon Brown, visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao described his week-long "trip of confidence" to five European countries as a complete success. During the trip, he broadly engaged with people from all walks of life, and met with European leaders for in-depth, candid talks on issues of common concern, especially the global financial crisis, and achieved "fruitful" results.

Sino-European relationship enjoys a solid foundation and a bright future, Wen noted. Europe and China agreed that dialogue and cooperation had dominated their 30-year ties, and great achievements had been made, said Wen, adding that such relationship had brought benefits to both sides, and set an example of mutual benefits and win-win outcome. In the face of global challenges such as the financial crisis, China and Europe should make joint efforts to promote cooperation, strengthen confidence in win-win progress and make their own contributions to the world's harmony and sustainable development, said the premier.

Wen said China is now integrated into the world at an unprecedented speed. “We must run our own affairs well and refrain from shifting troubles onto others,” said Wen, adding that "it will be the biggest contribution to the whole world". China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the international community to achieve an early recovery for world economy, and to build an equitable, fair, inclusive and orderly international financial system, said Wen.

On Sino-British relations, Wen said the relationship is now at a new starting point. First, both sides have no problems left over from history, which enables both countries to face the future from a higher prospective. Second, Sino-British strategic consensus has been enhanced and the common interests between both sides are far greater than differences. China-Britain relations have gone beyond the bilateral scope and are having an increasingly significant influence to the world. Third, China and Britain should take coping with the unprecedented financial crisis as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation in all areas and push bilateral ties to a new high.

Brown said Britain remains the biggest investor in China among the EU members, and China is the fastest growing export market of Britain, offering huge business opportunities for British companies. The biggest threat is a retreat to protectionism during the economic downturn. Britain and China will remain committed to opposing protectionism, he added.

Prior to the press conference, Premier Wen attended a welcoming ceremony held by Prime Minister Brown at the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Later, the two leaders attended a breakfast with guests from the academic and financial circles, as well as the UK-China Business Summit. Both sides also held official talks and attended a signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation agreements.