Icebreaking spirit still needed 70 years after inaugural visit

Business organizations in China and the United Kingdom should continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, to bring mutual benefits to the two countries through the icebreaking spirit that still resonates from 70 years ago, participants of the "Icebreakers" 2023 Chinese New Year celebration in London, England said on Wednesday.

Premier Li Keqiang also extended a congratulatory message to the event, which was jointly hosted by Britain's 48 Group Club, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and the China-British Business Council.

In his message, Li highlighted the significance of healthy and stable relations between China and the UK to both nations and the world, saying that Beijing will remain committed to peaceful development.

The premier noted that visionary representatives from the British business community broke the ice with great courage and opened the door to trade between China and the UK 70 years ago.

He was referring to the group of British businesspeople, who, in 1953, overcame several obstacles to participate in a trip to China that broke the ice in the West's trading stance with the nation. The trip also paved the way for a trade mission of 48 businesspeople from British companies to China, which later became known as the 48 Group, an organization dedicated to promoting trade between the UK and China.

Li said that, at present, international and regional situations are undergoing complex and profound changes, and geopolitics, the world economy, climate change, food, energy security, and other fields are facing severe risks and challenges.

The more difficulties there are, the more the icebreaker spirit must be carried forward, he said, adding that a pioneering and enterprising spirit is required to bolster exchanges and cooperation, properly manage differences, and enhance people's well-being.

Zheng Zeguang, China's ambassador to the UK, pointed out that President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the celebration last year and Premier Li sent one this year, reflecting the fact that China's leaders have great expectations for the two countries, and attach great value to the development of Sino-British relations.

Zheng said China is promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization, which opens up a wide space for cooperation between China and other countries, including the UK.

"China and the UK should move in the same direction, uphold the principles of mutual respect, openness, and tolerance, focus on mutually beneficial cooperation, properly address conflicts and differences, and push the relationship forward along the right track," Zheng said.

Philip Hammond, former UK chancellor of the exchequer, said political differences must not become an impediment to Britain's strength because the UK's history is one of trade-led diplomacy and a trade-first approach.

"If we only trade with people with whom we have no political differences, we can close half our ports tomorrow," said Hammond. "As we begin to address the challenge of climate change, China will be our indispensable partner in the battle against global warming …

"Let us focus not on what divides us but on what unites us, on making the case for free and fair trade, on encouraging mutual openness to investment, on working together to combat climate change," he said.

Fang Wenjian, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the UK, said despite the impact of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions and the energy crisis in the past three years, the business relationship between China and the UK has continued to flourish.

Fang also cited the beloved British fairy tale of Peter Rabbit, saying the story tells people that even the smallest one can change the world.

"No matter who we are, however humble we are, working together we can achieve our common mission of further strengthening the China-UK relations, and bringing positive and long-lasting changes to it," he added.

Sherard Cowper-Coles, chairman of the China-Britain Business Council, said both China and the UK have suffered enormously in the past three years of the pandemic and thanked the ambassador for helping to maintain stable relations between the two countries during hard times.

"Now we have come through it, we've turned a new page, and we can now look forward to an era in which we can work together to increase the happiness, the prosperity and the well-being of our two peoples," Cowper-Coles said.

"Once again, we can welcome hundreds of thousands of Chinese students in the United Kingdom, we can welcome Chinese tourists, we can send Range Rovers built in Solihull to China ... We can have a grownup approach to engaging with our two countries," he added.

Zhu Wenjin, managing director of PetroChina International (London) Co Ltd, said the icebreaking spirit has inspired generations of people who contributed to the development of the bilateral relations.

"When PetroChina first set up the London office in 2002, our business was limited to small-scale crude oil trading. Today, PetroChina is a significant energy operator in Europe, supplying a variety of energy products including oil, natural gas, biofuels and other low-carbon products," he said.

"The fast growth of our company over the past 20 years is a testament to the strength of Sino-British business relations. We also have an urgent sense that to sustain our growth we must accelerate in reinventing our business in the era of the energy transition," Zhu added.

Dominic Barton, chairman of the board of Rio Tinto Group, said: "Free and open trade is essential for all of our prosperity. The idea that we can do complete decoupling is ridiculous … in this fragmented world, businesspeople have a critical responsibility and role to play in promoting better societal mutual understanding.

"And I think this was very much the spirit when Jack Perry and many British entrepreneurs started to be on the icebreaking mission that made historical contributions to the development of Britain's trade relations with China," he said.

"We need to recognize that there are differences and challenges and we do compete, but we must push for engagement and dialogue, and cooperate in the areas of mutual benefits."

Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, said Li's congratulatory letter was an affirmation of the ongoing need for the "icebreaker" spirit because, in the face of ideological "ice", people from all walks of life in the UK and China should carry forward the spirit of the "icebreakers" to enhance understanding and promote beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

As the first in-person reception of the annual "icebreakers" celebration since the pandemic, the event was attended by some 450 representatives from the two countries in sectors of government, business, and finance, among other industries.

The participants expressed the idea that cooperation is in the interest of both nations and that all must continue to work together to make new contributions to promote Sino-British exchanges and cooperation.