Brown to visit China to add momentum to ties

LONDON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Since succeeding Tony Blair as British prime minister last year, Gordon Brown has continued to seek good relations with China and his forthcoming visit to Beijing is expected to add momentum to the friendly ties between the two countries.

Thanks to years of efforts by both countries to develop bilateral relations, the two sides enjoy exchanges at all levels and mutual understanding and cooperation on many issues, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Since taking office on Jun. 27, 2007, Brown has held phone talks twice with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The foreign ministers of the two countries also met during the UN General Assembly. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited London last December and the two countries held a strategic dialogue in Beijing last year.

Recent months have also witnessed Conservative Party leader David Cameron's trip to China, a goodwill visit to Britain by Chinese naval ships and visits by British officials from various departments, such as the communications, trade, investment and finance sectors.

The exchanges have promoted the building of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Britain.

Meanwhile, bilateral cooperation in economy and trade has been strengthened.

From January to October last year, the trade volume between China and Britain hit 31.95 billion U.S. dollars, up 28.8 percent compared with the previous year. By the end of September 2007, Britain had opened 5,708 investment projects in China, with a total value of 27.88 billion dollars. Britain remains the biggest investor in China among the EU members.

Britain values China's growth, seeing it as an opportunity for business, rather than as a threat. It opposes protectionism and hopes to expand trade with China in the areas of technology, environment and sustainable development.

With China's fast development, all sectors in Britain have an increasing interest in having a better understanding of China.

In recent years, China has become a hot topic in Britain and various activities showcasing Chinese culture have been staged to satisfy the British people.

In London, the city government has held "China in London" events for two years, attracting hundreds of thousands of people.

This year, London plans to host its record celebration of Chinese culture, featuring an Olympic theme and the largest Spring Festival outside Asia. The two-month event, "China in London 2008," will be launched on Feb. 6, with a ceremony of the lighting of Chinese lanterns in Oxford Circus.

Chinese artists will be joined in celebrations by some of London's great cultural institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Academy of Music.

Arrangements are being made to acquaint passengers of London's subway with Chinese poems.

Among other highlights will be performances by the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera House and the Beijing Modern Dance Company.

An estimated 1.5 million Londoners and visitors will attend the event.

The celebrations will usher in "China Now," a six-month festival sponsored by British industries between February and July, which will be held across Britain, focusing on Chinese business, education and culture.

At the opening ceremony of "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army," running from September 2007 to April 2008, Brown said the exhibition marked the strengthening of Sino-British relations and that cultural exchange is playing an ever important role in tightening those ties.

One month before the exhibition, nearly 60,000 advance tickets had been sold. It has since attracted more than 400,000 people.