On October 13, 2015, the Foreign Ministry held a briefing for Chinese and foreign media, during which Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao and Assistant Commerce Minister Zhang Ji introduced relevant information on President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to the UK and answered questions from the journalists.

Wang Chao expressed that at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the country from October 19 to 23, which will be the first state visit paid by a Chinese President to the UK in 10 years and another major diplomatic action of China towards Europe.

Wang Chao pointed out that this year marks the beginning of the second decade of China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership, and bilateral relations are showing a constant upward momentum and facing new and important development opportunities. The two countries are witnessing frequent high-level exchanges, sound operation of various dialogue and cooperation mechanisms and extensive cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, finance, culture and personnel exchanges. The UK actively applied to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank this March. Meanwhile, the two countries are keeping long-term and sound communication in international and regional affairs and have jointly played a constructive role in effectively coping with the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and solving the Iranian, South Sudanese and other issues. The UK government have expressed multiple times that China's development is an opportunity rather than challenge. After his successful reelection this May, Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his hope to make the coming five years a "golden era" for bilateral relations.

Wang Chao said that the UK is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major country of the EU. China-UK relations have gone beyond bilateral scope with more and more strategic significance and global influence. President Xi Jinping put forward the four major China-EU partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization last year, charting the course for China-EU relations. President Xi Jinping's visit to the UK will surely lay a more solid foundation for China-EU relations.

Wang Chao stressed that all circles in the UK are paying close attention and eagerly looking forward to President Xi Jinping's visit. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will exchange candid and in-depth views with the UK leaders on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern to enhance understanding, expand consensus and blueprint the future development of bilateral relations. He will also meet with people of all sectors in the UK and attend events regarding economy and trade as well as people-to-people exchanges. Both sides will also sign multiple cooperation agreements. It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the visit will achieve a complete success, comprehensively promote bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas and push for new and important development in bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. The visit will surely be a new milestone in the development history of bilateral relations and play a positive role in world peace and prosperity.

Zhang Ji expressed that in recent years, China-UK economic and trade relations have kept a rapid development momentum with sparkling highlights and become an important force in advancing bilateral relations, and thus served as a ballast of bilateral relations. The two countries have also carried out fruitful cooperation in such areas as scientific and technological innovation, service trade, local coordination and development of the third-party market. Bilateral economic and trade cooperation is demonstrating a positive momentum of steadily developed trade, continuously deepened two-way investment and constantly expanded cooperation in new areas.

Zhang Ji stated that fruitful economic and trade results will be scored from President Xi Jinping's visit to the UK, including wide-ranged intergovernmental agreements and cooperation projects between financial institutions and enterprises, which will fully embody the characteristics and future orientation of China-UK economic and trade cooperation. Both countries should fully tap trade potential, continue to consolidate traditional goods trade and constantly innovate trade mode; deepen investment and major-project cooperation, and push in-depth development of two-way investment cooperation by starting from high speed rail and nuclear power projects; make full use of their respective advantages to boost local cooperation and cooperation in the third-party market, forge long-lasting and effective cooperation mechanisms and create a sound trade and investment environment between China and the EU.