CCTV: You just announced that UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer will visit China. Can you brief us on the schedule of the visit? What does China expect to achieve through this visit?

Guo Jiakun: In August, 2024, President Xi Jinping held a phone call with Prime Minister Starmer at the latter’s request and they met during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro that same November, steering China-UK relations on a track toward improvement and development.

The international landscape is witnessing turbulence and transformation. It serves the common interest of both peoples and contributes to promoting global peace, stability, and development for China and the UK, as two permanent members of the UN Security Council, to maintain communication and enhance cooperation. Prime Minister Starmer’s visit marks the first visit to China by a UK prime minister in eight years. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with him. Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Zhao Leji will hold talks and meet with him respectively for in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. Apart from Beijing, Prime Minister Starmer will also visit Shanghai.

After taking office, the Labour government has expressed clear willingness to develop relations with China in a consistent, long-term and strategic way and has actively promoted dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.

China stands ready to take this visit as an opportunity to enhance political mutual trust with the UK, deepen practical cooperation, open a new chapter of sound and steady development of China-UK relationship and together make due efforts and contributions to world peace, security, and stability.