China's UK embassy hosts anniversary celebration

More than 400 guests and and representatives from various sectors in both China and the UK attended a National Day receiption in London on Friday to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The receiption was held by the Chinese Embassy in the UK amid renewed high-level engagement between the two countries and following a Sept 8 phone call in which the leaders of China and the UK agreed on the importance of building a comprehensive strategic partnership.

China's Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang highlighted at the event China's economic and social development, the importance of China-UK relations, and the scope for greater bilateral cooperation.

Zheng said China had undergone profound changes and achieved major advances in economic and social development and noted that "Chinese modernization has brought epoch-making changes to our country, and greatly improved our people's lives".

He also pointed to China's advances in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy, robotics, and other emerging industries.

On bilateral ties, Zheng said China and the UK had benefited from decades of exchanges, despite differences.

"The UK was the first major Western country to recognize new China," he said, adding that the relationship had "come a long way".

Zheng called for greater mutual respect and trust and expanded cooperation in trade, investment, clean energy, science and technology, artificial intelligence, health, and climate change. He also urged the two countries to strengthen cooperation in international affairs as permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Recent cooperation on cultural heritage provided another example of bilateral engagement, with the UK returning 12 Chinese cultural objects to China on Sept 23 following cooperation between the two countries.

Rosie Winterton, who has served as the UK's minister responsible for what London calls the "Asia-Pacific region", also addressed the reception, and highlighted China's development over recent decades and the importance of the UK-China relationship.

She described the two countries as major economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, saying: "Engagement does not mean avoiding difficult issues. It means creating the conditions to discuss them openly and directly."

Winterton also stressed the value of cooperation in areas including climate change and emerging challenges, as well as in exchanges among students, businesses, and people from both countries.

The reception also provided an opportunity for business representatives to discuss the prospects for further cooperation.

According to the latest trade tracker published by the China-Britain Business Council, or CBBC, UK-China trade in goods and services reached 134.7 billion pounds ($178.42 billion) in 2025, an increase of 5.6 percent from 2024.

Veysel Isik, head of the China Desk at DPD Group, one of Europe's leading parcel delivery and logistics networks, said his company was seeing more Chinese enterprises with a presence in the UK.

"More and more Chinese enterprises are coming, and we are really happy to serve them here," he said.