UK celebrates the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the level of Chargé d’Affaires with China
The British Embassy will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UK and China at the level of Chargé d’Affaires, with an evening reception at the Chargé’s residence today.
UK celebrates the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the level of Chargé d’Affaires with China
The event also celebrates the 10th UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), co-hosted by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond and Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua in London, which further cements the UK as the leading financial services partner for China.
Over the past 65 years, the UK-China relationship has grown from strength to strength. The deep and broad links between the two countries range from Government to Government to Business to Business and to People to People.
President Xi Jinping’s successful state visit to the UK in 2015 heralded the ‘Golden Era’ of UK-China relations.
The Prime Minister’s 2018 visit to China further strengthened this partnership, opening a new chapter in our bilateral relations.
In 2018, UK-China trade reached a record of £68.5 billion, making China the UK’s fifth-largest trading partner. More than 10,000 UK businesses now sell goods and services to China.
The UK is also one of the top destinations in Europe for Chinese investment. The UK has welcomed many of China’s leading companies to locate and grow in the UK.
Chinese visitors to the UK have doubled in ten years while UK visits to China are up by more than a third.
About 250,000 Chinese tourists visit the UK each year, drawn by British cultural icons such as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes, while the 170,000 Chinese students studying in British world-leading universities constitute the largest group of international students in the UK.
Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy Beijing Christina Scott said:
The last 65 years have seen the relationships between the people of the UK and China grow and strengthen. As these connections have deepened, so have our partnerships across trade, education, culture and tourism.
When people come together, we all benefit from the connections made. As we celebrate this milestone we look forward to continuing to nurture UK-China relationships in the years to come.