Brown's visit boosts China-UK relations

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives today for his first state visit to China since taking office. His predecessor and Labour Party comrade Tony Blair visited this country three times during his 10 years in office. Brown's visit gives prominence to the China factor in his government's new global diplomatic strategy and serves as an important connecting point between the past and future for the consolidation and deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the United Kingdom.

The China-UK relationship has a long history and is one of the most important factors in contemporary China-European ties. The UK is the first Western country to recognize the People's Republic of China after it was founded in 1949. And the two sides reached an agreement to exchange charges d'affairs in 1954, and signed the Joint Communique on the Agreement on the Exchanges of Ambassadors in 1972.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and the UK have seen their bilateral ties gradually improving despite periodic turbulence. Particularly noteworthy is that the two nations saw through the smooth return of Hong Kong's administration to China with a Labour government in London and they formed a comprehensive strategic partnership in 1997.