Li Keqiang pushes economic ties in talks with British business leaders
- Chinese premier calls for ‘healthy and stable development’ of relations in virtual meeting with over 30 heads of multinational firms
- He says the two countries are important forces in maintaining global peace and safeguarding the multilateral trading system
Li said China wanted to resolve differences through dialogue to promote the “healthy and stable development” of relations, in a meeting on Tuesday with more than 30 leaders of multinational firms including Standard Life, Diageo, AstraZeneca and British Petroleum.
Li told the business leaders that China and Britain were important forces in maintaining global peace and safeguarding the multilateral trading system in a time of uncertainty.
“Stable China-UK relations are conducive to upholding free and fair trade, pushing forward the global economic recovery, tackling global challenges and creating more benefits for the two peoples,” Li said.
He also said China wanted to improve communication and share its research as a way to fight the pandemic, especially on variants of the coronavirus.
On the issue of Beijing’s market access promises, Li said China would further open its service sector as it had for manufacturing, and that all entities, including foreign-invested enterprises, were treated equally and more foreign capital was welcome.
He called for stronger communication between the two countries across all sectors and efforts to improve mutual understanding.
Also speaking was Sherard Cowper-Coles, chairman of the China-Britain Business Council, which co-hosted the meeting, saying the discussion had “highlighted how a healthy trade and investment relationship is in the national interest of both the UK and China”.
02:02
Britain sanctions Chinese officials over Xinjiang alongside US, EU and Canada
He said they needed the same spirit as Jack Perry – who visited China on an “ice-breaking” trip in 1953 as part of a delegation representing British companies – and urged the business sector to “break the ice of protectionism” and build an open and inclusive world economy.