On July 7, 2017 local time, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Theresa May of the UK in Hamburg.
Xi Jinping pointed out that when I met with Ms. Prime Minister last September at the G20 Hangzhou Summit, we reconfirmed the general direction of the "Golden Era" of China-UK relations. With joint efforts of both sides, China and the UK have deepened strategic mutual trust and promoted practical cooperation in all fields to a higher level. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial level diplomatic relations between China and the UK, and bilateral relations are currently facing new development opportunities. China is willing to work with the UK to promote China-UK global comprehensive strategic partnership in the 21st century to a higher level, so as to better benefit the two peoples.
Xi Jinping stressed that consolidating the strategic mutual trust is the foundation of China-UK relations. Both sides should adhere to the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment, and earnestly respect each other's core interests and major concerns. Both sides should maintain close high-level exchanges and institutional dialogue in various fields so as to make a top-level design for the sustainable and stable development of bilateral relations. Strong practical cooperation is the fulcrum. Both sides should strengthen practical exchanges and cooperation in various fields, advance the docking of China's "13th Five-Year Plan", "Made in China 2025" with the UK's modern industry strategy and development plans such as "the Northern Powerhouse in the north of England" within the framework of the "Belt and Road" initiative and deepen cooperation in finance, nuclear power and so forth. The 5th anniversary of China-UK high-level people-to-people exchange mechanism should be regarded as an opportunity to intensify non-governmental exchanges and youth communication. Strengthening international coordination is a highlight. The two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs and deepen exchanges within the UN, the G20, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and other multilateral frameworks. The two sides are required to seek common ground while reserving differences, gather similarities while eliminating differences and to maintain the overall situation with practical actions, so as to promote China-UK relations for stable, better and faster development.
Theresa May noted that the UK is committed to advancing UK-China global comprehensive strategic partnership in the 21st century and insisting on the general direction of the "Golden Era " of bilateral relations. The UK attaches importance to China's great influence in major international affairs. The two sides share common interests in many areas. The UK side is willing to make full use of the high-level dialogue mechanism between the two countries, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and security, and intensify coordination and communication in international and regional hotspot issues with China. The UK stands ready to actively participate in cooperation in such fields as finance within the "Belt and Road" framework.
Wang Yang, Yang Jiechi and others attended the meeting.