The Daily Update: UK / China Relations / 1966 Rekindled

On a video conference with UK business leaders yesterday, the first formal bilateral business communication this year, China’s Premier Li Keqiang said that such discussions will help the UK expand ties with China to cushion its withdrawal from the EU and along with elevating the UK's global influence, an article in the state-run Global Times said. While the UK will continue to follow the U.S. to make things difficult for China in some areas, ongoing relations between Britain and China possibly will become more ‘balanced and mature’ as the Boris Johnson government will try to balance between political ties with Washington and economic relations with Beijing. This in turn may help lift relations with China, the newspaper said.

Li said at the conference that stable China-UK relations are conducive to upholding free and fair trade, pushing forward the global economic recovery, tackling global challenges and creating more benefits for the two countries, according to the official website of China's State Council. ‘China is willing to work with the UK to cement mutual trust, mutual respect, seek common ground while reserving differences, deepen win-win cooperation, and accumulate consensus and solve disputes through equal dialogue to promote the sound and stable development of bilateral relations’ Li said.

The video conference comes after the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak said at his annual Mansion House speech earlier this month that London was well placed to serve a fast growing Chinese ‘financial services market with total assets worth 40 trillion pounds’ the Financial Times reported.

This time tomorrow we will know if England have reached their first major football final since 1966 where the Italians await. The bookmakers have us odds-on favourites. With the travel restrictions and playing at Wembley we will certainly have home advantage. However, Denmark are one of the highlights of the tournament and will be no walk over. C’mon England.