UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed his desire to establish the highest level of cooperation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi spoke with Burnham on the evening of September 8, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.
This was Burnham's first conversation with Xi since taking office on July 20. On his first day in office, Burnham spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a 50-day gap before his call with Xi. Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, also spoke with Xi 49 days after taking office.
According to Xinhua, Xi congratulated Burnham on his appointment and emphasized that the two countries should acknowledge their differences while promoting mutually beneficial cooperation. He added that both nations are strong in science and technology and should enhance exchanges and collaboration across various fields, expressing hope that the UK would adequately protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese investors.
This remark is interpreted as a reference to the UK government's nationalization of British Steel, which was owned by the Chinese steelmaker Jingye Group. The UK took this action after Jingye proposed closing a blast furnace due to accumulated losses, prompting China to call for the protection of its companies' rights.
During his call with Xi, Burnham noted his long tenure as the mayor of Manchester and mentioned that he had visited Manchester in 2015 while in that role. He stated, "The UK wishes to develop a long-term and stable strategic partnership."
He emphasized that the UK aims to promote high-level exchanges with China and enhance cooperation in various fields to restore bilateral relations to their highest level in history. Burnham also reiterated that the UK's position on the Taiwan issue remains unchanged and commended China's swift and strong response to the landslide in Tibet.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.