China, Britain raise curtain of 'golden time' in ties with $60b deals

LONDON - China and Britain revved their cooperation into higher gear as they signed on Wednesday a slew of lucrative deals, laying a solid foundation for the "golden time" of their partnership.

The deals, tantamount to about $60 billion according to British Prime Minister David Cameron who had witnessed their signing, are a truthful fulfillment of Chinese President Xi Jinping's pledge to enhance cooperation with Britain.

Xi said in a written interview with Reuters prior to the British trip that "China looks forward to engaging with the UK in a wider range, at a higher level and in greater depth."

Signed on the third day of Xi's "super" state visit, the deals are a manifestation of Britain's will to be the Western country that is most open to China, which is regarded by Xi as a visionary and strategic choice that fully meets Britain's own long-term interest.

"It has been the right time for both sides to deepen their bilateral relationship and mutually-beneficial cooperation as the 'comprehensive strategic partnership' is embracing the second decade," said Xi.

Golden time

With Britain intending to be the "best Western partner" of China, bilateral ties have undergone remarkable development in recent years, laying a solid foundation for their global comprehensive strategic partnership in the 21st century.

"China and Britain will open up a golden time of enduring, inclusive and win-win relationship and jointly create a brighter future for bilateral relations," Xi told a joint press conference with Cameron after their meeting.

Enjoying huge complementary advantages, China and Britain are in the  middle of a crucial docking of their development strategies.

As the British government regards China's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge, common interests and bilateral cooperation have more room to grow and prosper.

Trade and investment between the two sides have been surging these years, and financial and infrastructure cooperation has also been deepening, as the two countries have agreed to conjoin China's Belt and Road Initiative with Britain's "Northern Powerhouse" project, Xi said.

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a senior lecturer in international relations with King's College London, said it is time to lift the China-Britain relationship to a new level.