China-UK "Golden Era"
The United Kingdom was the first Western country to recognize the People's Republic of China. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1972, the two countries have seen substantial progress in cooperation in various fields. During his visit to the UK in October 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the Queen and held in-depth talks with the prime minister. The two countries signed the China-UK Joint Declaration on Building a Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century, sounding the prelude to a "golden era."
When meeting with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May in February 2018, Xi Jinping said that the two countries should respond to the call of the times as appropriate to their respective stages of development and need of cooperation, and add new meaning to bilateral ties, so as to add luster to the idea of the "golden era."
The two countries should: (1) upgrade the strategic level of the "golden era," and design and cultivate the future of bilateral ties from a strategic height and a holistic perspective; (2) energize practical cooperation in the "golden era," scale new heights in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, synergize their development strategies, and expand cooperation in finance, nuclear energy and investment; (3) enhance globalization of the "golden era," increase exchanges and cooperation within multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, G20 and the World Trade Organization to address climate change and other global challenges, and promote world peace and stability; and (4) promote the inclusive quality of the "golden era," increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and build up friendship and popular support, so as to set an example of realizing harmony and coexistence between Eastern and Western cultures.
共同打造中英關(guān)系“黃金時代”
英國是最早承認中華人民共和國的西方大國。建交以來,兩國各領(lǐng)域合作碩果累累。2015年10月,習(xí)近平主席訪英時, 兩國領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人進行了廣泛深入的交流,兩國共同發(fā)表了《中英關(guān)于構(gòu)建面向21世紀全球全面戰(zhàn)略伙伴關(guān)系的聯(lián)合宣言》,揭開了中英關(guān)系“黃金序章”。2018年2月,習(xí)近平在會見來華訪問的英國時任首相特雷莎·梅時表示,中英雙方應(yīng)順應(yīng)時代潮流,結(jié)合兩國各自發(fā)展階段和合作需求,賦予中英關(guān)系新的時代內(nèi)涵,共同打造“黃金時代”增強版。一要提升中英關(guān)系“黃金時代”戰(zhàn)略性,從戰(zhàn)略高度和全局角度看待和規(guī)劃雙邊關(guān)系未來發(fā)展。二要增強中英關(guān)系“黃金時代”務(wù)實性,推動兩國經(jīng)貿(mào)合作再上新臺階。加強兩國發(fā)展戰(zhàn)略對接,深化在金融、核電、投資等領(lǐng)域合作。三要拓展中英關(guān)系“黃金時代”全球性,深化在聯(lián)合國、二十國集團、世界貿(mào)易組織等多邊機構(gòu)內(nèi)交流合作,推動解決氣候變化等全球性挑戰(zhàn),共同促進世界和平與穩(wěn)定。四要促進中英關(guān)系“黃金時代”包容性,加強人文交流,增進兩國交往和友誼,夯實兩國關(guān)系民意基礎(chǔ),為促進東西方文明交流互鑒、不同文明國家“和合共生”樹立典范。特雷莎·梅對此表示贊同。