By Lydia Chen
2008-1-18
CHINA and Britain hoped to drive up bilateral trade 50 percent to US$60 billion in 2010, Premier Wen Jiabao and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in Beijing today.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached about US$40 billion last year.
Increasing trade was among the nine agreements reached during talks between the two leaders at the Great Hall of the People this morning, Xinhua news agency reported.
Other agreements covered issues such as climate change, education, energy and the Olympics, the report said.
The leaders also witnessed the signing ceremonies of several deals whose total value reached nearly US$800 million, the report said.
The three-day visit was Brown’s first official visit to China since taking office in June.
“Amid the global economy’s difficulties and turbulence, the importance of China and our growing relationship between Britain and China is absolutely crucial to the success of the global economy as a whole,” said Brown, who was to meet President Hu Jintao later today.
Brown is accompanied by a high-profile delegation of business leaders, including David Brennan, the chief executive officer of pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, Jorma Ollila, chairman of oil company Royal Dutch Shell, Marcus Agius, the chief executive officer of Barclays bank and Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson.
Brown also congratulated the Chinese government on its tremendous economic success and being host of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“This year is going to be an incredibly successful year for both the Chinese economy and China as the host of Olympic Games,” he said.
The two countries pledged to have more cooperation for the 2012 Olympics when London will become the host city, the report said.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200801/20080118/article_345785.htm
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