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China and the UK pledged on Tuesday not to let differences come in the way of strategic ties, after constructive talks were held in the capital between Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his British counterpart David Miliband on issues ranging from economic cooperation to Iran's nuclear program.

The visiting British foreign secretary said he had come to China seeking partnership to combat common challenges. He said the visit had underlined the breadth and depth of the relationship.

Miliband, however, acknowledged that there were areas of disagreement. "It is important that (when) there are disagreements we don't hide them and that is what it means to be in an effective modern partnership," he said.

Yang called for the two sides to step up cooperation in the fields of financial services, alternative energy and environmental protection.

He also agreed to treat differences on the basis of mutual respect and in an equal footing in order to push bilateral ties in a positive direction. Yang also said Beijing was ready to talk about human rights issues with Western nations.

Miliband, on his part, refused to refer to China as the European Union's political competitor. Britain will urge the EU to further develop the strategic partnership, he said, and hoped the partnership would help in better dealing with global issues such as climate change.

On the Iran issue, Yang said China was becoming more concerned but reiterated that sanctions were not the "solution". Yang made the remarks after his talks with Miliband. It is believed that the Teheran situation was one of the key topics of their discussion.

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.