– Keynote Speech by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the China-UK Economic and Trade Forum

Chairman Sun Yu, Lord Mayor Alderman Charles Bowman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Good afternoon. Today is a special day. In the Chinese culture, 18 is a lucky number. It is believed to promise good fortune, thriving business and bright prospects. Today is January 18, 2018. With these two 18's I am sure our good luck will double.

So, on this auspicious day, I wish to say how delighted I am to join you for the China-UK Economic and Trade Forum organized by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK. I look forward to lively discussions with you. And I hope this gathering of Chinese and British entrepreneurs will generate some productive ideas – ideas that will boost trade and economic cooperation between our two countries and advance China-UK relations as a whole.

Less than three weeks ago, I was called back to Beijing, as did all the Chinese diplomatic envoys from every corner of the world, for an annual conference. We had an important meeting with President Xi Jinping, where he shared with us his thoughts on the world today. President Xi said, we are now in a world of unprecedented change. Accelerated multi-polarization and increasing equilibrium in the international landscape have become an irreversible trend. This is a time of great progress, tremendous transformation and profound adjustments. This is the big picture against which China and the UK have embarked on a fast track in building the "Golden Era".

As we look back at 2017, we have every reason to be proud. We commemorated the 45th anniversary of the ambassadorial diplomatic ties. We took the "Golden Era" a step further. We withstood uncertainties and maintained a sound and steady momentum in China-UK relations. President Xi and Prime Minister May held a successful meeting during the G20 Summit in Hamburg. They also stayed in touch through letters and telephone calls. The annual meetings of China-UK High-Level People to People Dialogue and the Economic and Financial Dialogue produced fruitful results. China and the UK reconfirmed the strategic definition of the "Golden Era", enhanced political trust, and enriched bilateral cooperation.

The year 2017 has seen fruitful results across the board, from trade to transport, from nuclear power to financial services and from cultural collaboration to people-to-people exchanges. By October 2017, China-UK trade reached $65.1 billion, with British export to China increasing by 11.3% year on year. China remains to be one of the fastest growing export markets for the UK. The construction of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station has begun. At the centre of this project, the generic design assessment of Hualong One technology has entered the second stage. China Railway Express ran its first freight train between China's Yiwu and London. This offered a new, on-land option for the movement of goods between China and Britain, and extended the "Belt and Road" to the very western end of Europe. Much closer to where we are, the ABP Royal Albert Dock broke ground. This Dock is expected to play a key part in the development of East London. Here in the City, the Bank of China opened its Private Banking Service Centre. Applications from Agricultural Bank of China and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank to set up branches got the go-ahead from British financial regulators.

In 2018, we have a great deal to look forward to. In China, this year will be the opening year for the implementation of the blueprint of the 19th Party Congress. It also marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy and the fifth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. For China-UK relations, 2018 is also an important year. Prime Minister May will pay an official visit to China. This is now high on the agenda of our bilateral relations. Both China and the UK attach great importance to this visit. Both want to take this opportunity to expand, elevate and deepen our mutually-beneficial cooperation. Our goal is "Golden Era" 2.0. To achieve this goal, we need to seize three important opportunities.

The socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era creates our first opportunity. This will ensure that the China-UK "Golden Era" is steady and will endure.

The 19th Party Congress points out that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. This is a new historic juncture in China's development. It marks the beginning of a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects. China's economic development has also entered a new era. This is marked by the transition from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. China will follow a new development concept; Growth will be driven by innovation; And our economic system will be modernized. This will also be a new era for China's global role. China will increasingly take centre stage and make greater contribution to mankind. China will deepen all-round diplomacy; China will expand its global partnership network; And China will promote the building of a new-type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

China-UK relations have always been a leader in China's relations with other Western countries. China has sought to develop its relations with the UK from a strategic and long-term perspective. We hope to make our development strategies match with that of the UK. We aim to deepen China-UK cooperation in political and economic areas, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and global governance. Working together, our two countries can achieve common development. We are delighted by the message from the British side. Prime Minister May said this at the Lord Mayor's banquet last November: "I am committed to maintaining the Golden Era of our relationship with China... whose decisions together with ours will shape the world around us." I believe as China's development enters a new era, China-UK "Golden Era" will embrace new historic opportunities and more promising prospects.