Chinese vice president meets UK foreign secretary

BEIJING - Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with James Cleverly, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Han said China and the UK have established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level for more than half a century and achieved positive results in practical cooperation in various fields.

Faced with the risks and challenges of the current international situation, the two sides, as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world, should uphold the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, maintain communication in international and regional affairs, and jointly promote world peace and development, he added.

"Economic and trade cooperation is the foundation for the sound and steady development of China-UK relations," Han said, adding that the two governments should create a sound business environment and actively explore new growth points for practical cooperation.

Noting that China is an important country with global influence and is playing an increasingly important role in international governance, Cleverly said the UK appreciates China's important contribution to the world economy and poverty reduction.

The UK is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication with China to build consensus and deepen cooperation, said Cleverly.