February 29th, 2020

(From chinareports.org.cn, Correspondent: Li Chuanjun) On February 18, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone. Xi Jinping stressed that the two sides should shoulder more responsibilities together to show more of the Sino-British comprehensive cooperative partnership in the new decade. Adhering to the guidance of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, the two sides should strengthen high-level interaction, promote the complementarity of Sino-British economy, and carry out more substantive cooperation. At the same time, President Xi Jinping thanked the Queen Elisabeth II and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for their sympathy and solicitude for China’ s fight against the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and the material support of the British side for China’s fight against the pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, all sectors of the British side have given various supports to China’s fight against novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The British customs still maintains normal entry of passengers from China and keeps direct flights with China, which fully reflects the Britain’s friendly attitude towards China and its positive position in maintaining bilateral relations. At present, the UK is also threatened by the spread of the pandemic. China’s valuable experience in fighting against the pandemic can also be fully shared with the UK. China and the UK work together to fight against the pandemic, which will have an important impact on maintaining world peace an stability.

The friendly relationship between China and Britain have not come by easily, which is inseparable from the long-term efforts of British celebrities from industry, commerce, culture and other sectors. In 2018, Xiao Wunan, Executive Vice Chairman of the Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation, and heads of PwC UK in London, made great efforts to coordinate and reach a broad consensus on promoting the implementation of the Sino-British golden decade from the perspectives of investment, trade, culture and public welfare, and promoting UK’s entry into the construction of China’s Belt and Road initiative. During China’s Vice Premier Hu Chunhua’ visit to the UK, they successfully promoted a series of cooperation agreements between China and the UK, and launched the Shanghai-London stock connect. All these embody the painstaking efforts of many British people who know China very well, including Richard Burn, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for China at the UK’s Department for International Trade, Lord Charles Powell, an independent member of British House of Lords, Gregory Hodkinson, Chairman of ARUP Group, Peter Budd, a senior consultant of ARUP Group, Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club, Lord James Sassoon, former Chairman of China-Britain Business Council, Sir Peter Estlin, former Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Matthew Rous, CEO of China-Britain Business Council, Richard Oldfield, Global Markets Leader at PwC International Limited, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO, Chairman of China-Britain Business Council, Katie Lee, Senior China Consultant of China-Britain Business Council, Miles Young, Warden of New College, Oxford, Suwei Jiang, Lead Partner of China Business Group PwC UK.

On the afternoon of March 2, 2020, at the invitation of Mr. Richard Oldfield, Global Markets Leader at PwC International Limited，Mr. Xiao Wunan, Executive Vice Chairman of the Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation, visited PwC in London to discuss some possible solutions after global pandemic disease, the British side provided some valuable ideas and suggestions. For example, the British side suggested that China take advantage of this pandemic to turn crisis into opportunity, they put forward the concept of “green development” for restructuring the layout of global supply chain and industrial chain, so as to avoid the impact on Chinese and global economies caused by the rupture of global industrial chain and supply chain due to global pandemic disease. They suggested that China seize the opportunity of the global spread of the pandemic, actively carry out humanitarian crisis assistance, share China’s experience in fighting the pandemic to the world, and highlight China’s good image as a responsible power. They suggested that the Chinese side make full use of the unique advantages of the City of London to provide more convenient conditions for overseas financing of Chinese enterprises after the pandemic, actively promote the integration of technology and industry, take the road of “green development”, and create a sustainable guarantee for the long-term prosperity of mankind.

The Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation has long been committed to building a good multilateral relationship between Europe and China. In particular, it has repeatedly promoted high-level exchanges, mutual trust and cooperation between Britain and China over the past decade, including facilitating British Prime Minister Cameron’s visit to China during his term of office, meeting with Crown Prince Charles for several times, and arranging British royal family members to visit China and participate in cultural exchange projects for several times. All these have laid a good foundation for the establishment of Sino-British mutual trust relations.

Executive Editor: Li Chuanjun