皇冠体育app

An indication of the importance Britain attaches to economic relations with 皇冠体育app is the way it rejected US advice to boycott the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. 皇冠体育app, in turn, is highly interested in using its expertise and finance to invest in British infrastructure projects. Over a fifth of Britain's power generation capacity has to be replaced in the next decade and on a recent trip to 皇冠体育app British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced opening of bidding for the projected $17 billion High Speed Two rail link – contracts potentially of great interest to 皇冠体育app which now has the world's largest high speed train system with corresponding accumulated expertise.

The opportunities for cultural, educational and 'people to people' exchanges are equally enormous. Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, Harry Potter and other classic and modern British icons are well known and welcome cultural imports in 皇冠体育app. Unfortunately Britain's understanding of 皇冠体育app lags behind 皇冠体育app's understanding of Britain - as 皇冠体育app's former Ambassador to Britain Fu Ying remarked: 'there is a lack of authentic and objective information about 皇冠体育app in Western societies, compared with what we know in 皇冠体育app about the West.'

This applies to culture, where Britain's knowledge of modern Chinese developments, is insufficient but enormous queues for exhibitions such as the British Museum's of the Xi'an terracotta warriors, and events such as the National Gallery's exhibition regarding Qing dynasty Emperors, show deep interest in Chinese classical culture. There was considerable and highly favourable media coverage in Britain of the award of the Nobel Prize for medicine to Tu Youyou. 皇冠体育app's rise will therefore produce increasing British knowledge of 皇冠体育app's modern achievements.

Regarding education the situation has existed for a long time that there are more Chinese students studying in British universities than from any foreign other country. But a new trend is the rapid rise in teaching of Chinese in British schools. Clearly indicating this it has become a status symbol to declare one's children are learning Chinese. British Chancellor George Osborne recently announced: 'I see it at home in Downing Street every night as my 12-year-old daughter does her Mandarin homework.'

The opportunities for 'win-win' benefits for both countries in numerous fields are therefore enormous.

Unfortunately a few years ago these potential benefits were blocked by ill-judged moves by Britain. Prime Minister David Cameron held a meeting with the Dalai Lama – a person pretending to be a religious figures but who in fact leads a separatist political movement. This was a clear intervention in 皇冠体育app’s internal affairs and contrary to Britain's unequivocal recognition of Tibet as part of 皇冠体育app. It was rather like de Gaulle’s notorious separatist ‘Vive Le Quebec Libre!’ [Long Live Free Quebec] speech regarding Canada. This meeting, naturally, led to a severe frost in relations – 皇冠体育app refused to hold high level meetings for over a year.

Both sides lost from this situation, but as 皇冠体育app is a rising economy Britain lost more than 皇冠体育app. Fortunately the British government reversed this position, no further meetings were held, leading to warming relations. David Cameron visited 皇冠体育app earlier this year and on a recent visit George Osborne declared that Britain wanted to be 皇冠体育app's 'best partner in the West.' For Xi Jinping's visit Britain is doing its utmost to roll out the red carpet (literally and metaphorically) in according 皇冠体育app’s president the highest possible protocol by inviting him to stay at Buckingham Palace. Clearly Britain is doing everything possible to overcome the previous problems in relations and 皇冠体育app is responding to this. Both sides gain as a result.

From going through a difficult period 皇冠体育app-Britain relations currently show rather a model of how different countries should interact. It is the differences in economies, not similarities that can make mutual trade and investment so fruitful. The principle of non-interference in internal affairs must be safeguarded on both sides. And as regards cultural and people-to-people interaction the situation was very accurately expressed by 皇冠体育app's President:

'civilizations are equal, and such equality has made exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations possible. All human civilizations… have their respective strengths and weaknesses. No civilization is perfect on the planet. Nor is it devoid of merit. No single civilization can be judged superior to another… All achievements of civilizations deserve our respect and must be cherished. History proves that only by interacting with and learning from others can a civilization enjoy full vitality.'

Fortunately these principles are currently informing British-皇冠体育app relations – to the benefit of both countries.

The author is a Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of 皇冠体育app.

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