China-UK relations towards a better future （Jiang Shixue）

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made many foreign trips around the world. To save time, he tends to visit several countries within one trip, except for the neighboring countries like Russia and South Korea. Therefore, the U.K. is the only non-neighboring country for one flight. Does it indicate that the U.K. is important in China's foreign diplomacy？The answer would be "Yes."

The UK's willingness and boldness in joining the Asian Infrastructures Investment Bank initiated by China, as the first major developed country, upset the United States and sent out a clear signal that it wishes to further develop relations with the largest emerging economy.

As two of the most important countries in the world, China and the U.K. can deepen their cooperation in global governance. At a recent meeting attended by the top leadership in Beijing, President Xi expressed China's views on global governance and promised that China would join hands with other countries in promoting global governance.

Although some say the U.K.'s international position and global influence is in decline, it is undoubtedly still a major power on the world stage. It is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, a member of the G20 and many other important international organizations. It has nuclear weapons, and, according to the World Bank, its GDP ranks fifth in the world. Therefore, there will be many opportunities of cooperation between China and the U.K. on issues such as climate change, cyber-security, anti-terrorism, energy and food security, international finance and trade reforms.

In contemporary world affairs, trade and investment are the foundations for any bilateral relationship. In the EU, the U.K. is the second largest trade partner, the largest destination of Chinese investment and the second largest source of foreign investment in China. In 2014, bilateral trade reached more than US$8 million. Moreover, the U.K. also hosts the largest trading center for China's RMB.

In 2013, China put forward a grand initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt together with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. China and the U.K. might think of effective ways of cooperation in implementing the initiative. The U.K. can participate in it by making joint ventures with China in building infrastructure for the countries along the Belt and Road.

The realization of a "RMB internationalization" has been one of the most urgent objectives for China's external economic strategy. The U.K. has comparative advantages in international finance. Therefore, a win-win outcome would exist for both countries to cooperate in this area.

China and the U.K. both have strong soft power. But it does not mean that there is no need for China and the U.K. to cooperate in this area. For instance, there are so many Chinese students who want to learn English and/or attend U.K. universities. At the same time, more and more young people from the U.K. like to learn Chinese and study in Chinese universities. As a result, both countries can simplify the visa application process and offer more scholarships for students. As a matter of fact, tourists, businesspersons, scholars and other professionals will also benefit from easing the visa application process.

To further promote China-U.K. relations, both countries also need to deepen their mutual understanding and strengthen strategic trust. The U.K. must respect China's "red-lines" in terms of its sovereignty. For instance, although it issued a statement in 2008, claiming that "Our recognition of China's 'special position' in Tibet developed from the outdated concept of suzerainty", Prime Minister Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Clegg still met with the Dalai Lama in May 2012. This meeting caused a freeze of high-level exchanges for almost 18 months. Definitely, this outcome was not what the two sides wished to see.

Additionally, after Hong Kong's so-called "Occupy Central Movement" or "Umbrella Movement" escalated in October 2014, a few U.K. politicians expressed some opinions which were clearly opposed to China's sovereignty over the former British colony.

It can be expected that bilateral economic relations will move forward more rapidly after President Xi's trip. However, in order to attract Chinese investment, the U.K. needs to do away with the mentality of fear towards China. From the U.K. media, it is not difficult to see that Chinese capital is perceived as a threat to the U.K. As a matter of fact, growing Chinese investment has benefited the U.K. economy.

Many people in the U.K. are preoccupied with their tainted-lens observations, prejudice, misunderstanding and misinformed perceptions. China needs to adopt an open-minded attitude towards them by making more explanations and even accepting the correct and reasonable observations and criticism. After all, the two countries have very different political and social systems. Consequently, it is impossible for everyone in the U.K. to have an objective judgment about everything in China.

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2015-10/22/content_36854803.htm

（Contact Jiang Shixue：jiangsx@cass.org.cn）