UK hopes for start of golden decade
When President Xi Jinping arrives in the United Kingdom next Monday, the UK government will lay out the red carpet to demonstrate the importance it attaches to the relationship with China which some describe as being at the start of "a golden decade".
Like Xi, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron is in a strong position as leader. He has a clear majority in parliament, the opposition is weak and divided, and the economy is performing well. His main concern is winning a referendum on the UK's continuing membership of the European Union in the next two years.
When the influential UK finance minister, George Osborne, visited China recently, he said that the UK "wants to be China's best partner in the West". Osborne is a big fan of China. He backpacked around China as a student and has encouraged his daughter to learn Mandarin. He is the prime mover in the UK's approach toward China, arguing that both sides can benefit significantly from closer ties especially in the economic field.
