British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will pay an official visit to China from Jan. 18 to 20, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu announced on Tuesday at a regular press conference.

 

Currently, China-Britain relations have maintained a good momentum of development with increased high-level exchanges and reinforced strategic mutual trust, said Jiang.

 

Since taking office in June 2007, Brown has held phone talks twice with Premier Wen Jiabao and sent letters to him.

 

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi paid a successful visit to London last December and the two countries held the second round of strategic dialogue in Beijing last year, said Jiang.

 

Meanwhile, bilateral trade and economic cooperation have enjoyed continued development with Britain remaining the biggest investor in China among the EU members.

 

Last year, the trade volume between China and Britain was estimated to have reached 40 billion U.S. dollars and fruitful results have also been achieved in cooperation in key areas such as finance, education, science and technology, culture, sanitation, sports, environmental protection and sustainable development.

 

Both China and Britain are permanent members of UN Security Council and influential countries in the world. The further development of their bilateral ties conforms to the basic interests of the two nations as well as the two peoples and is conducive to the world peace, stability and prosperity, said Jiang.

 

The Chinese government attaches great importance to Brown's visit and is willing to seek the opportunity to strengthen strategic dialogue, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation and push for long-term healthy and stable development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, she added.

 

This will be Brown's first visit to China since he assumed office last year.

 

 

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown (C) poses for photographers with Chinese Premiership soccer players Dong Fangzhuo (L) of Manchester United and Zheng Zhi of Charlton Athletic, during a reception with members of the British Chinese community at 10 Downing Street, London January 14, 2008.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2008)