China and the United Kingdom have voiced a strong desire and support for deeper economic engagement to unlock new growth opportunities in bilateral cooperation, as the two countries move to develop a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership.
Addressing a China-UK business roundtable on Tuesday in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, Lu Kang, vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the "ice-breaking" moment in bilateral relations began with breakthroughs in trade ties.
Economic and trade cooperation has long served as both a stabilizer and a driving force in bilateral relations, Lu said.
In recent years, China-UK economic and trade cooperation has maintained steady growth. The UK is China's third-largest trading partner, investment destination and source of foreign investment in Europe, while China is the UK's largest trading partner in Asia.
James Sassoon, president of the China-Britain Business Council, said the 5.9 percent year-on-year increase in UK exports to China in the first quarter of this year was very encouraging.
