‘Britain, China enjoying ‘golden era’ in their relationship’

International Desk: Theresa May has met President Xi Jinping for talks on the second day of her visit to China.

At a joint press conference with Mr Xi, Mrs May said Britain and China were enjoying a "golden era" in their relationship.

And she wanted to "take further forward the global strategic partnership that we have established".

The UK prime minister is in China at the head of a 50-strong business delegation.

With Mrs May's discussions with Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday largely given over to trade and Brexit, the talks with Mr Xi were due to focus on global issues, including North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

After shaking hands for the cameras, Mrs May and Mr Xi were seated with their delegations on opposite sides of a large conference table at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Mrs May hailed improved trading links between the two nations since Mr Xi's state visit to Britain in 2015.

She added: "I'm very pleased with the people-to-people links we have been able to build on in education and in culture too.

"Also as you say we are both significant players on the world stage of outward looking countries.

"And as we both sit together as permanent members of the security council of the united nations, there are global challenges which we both face, as do others in the world."

Mrs May is understood to have raised environmental issues with Mr Xi - and she presented him with a box-set of the BBC's Blue Planet II series, with a personal message from presenter Sir David Attenborough.

The show examined the effect of human behaviour on the environment and was referenced by Mrs May last month when she pledged to eradicate all avoidable plastic waste in the UK by 2042 as part of a 25-year green strategy.

Source: BBC online


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 1, 2018/AI