President Xi Jinping met with Britain's Prince William in Beijing in March. (Photo : www.scmp.com)
President Xi Jinping accepted an offer by Reuters for a written interview on Sunday, Oct. 18, in advance of his coming state visit to Britain.
In a report, the Xinhua News Agency provided the full text of the interview with Xi's response to the questions submitted by Reuters.
In the interview, the Reuters asked Xi about his expectations in his coming visit to the U.K. after more than 20 years and its impact on China-U.K. relations and China-E.U. relations.
"I visited London, Oxford, Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1994. I was deeply impressed by the visit, particularly Britain's long history, unique culture, friendly people and its beautiful environment," President Xi wrote.
Xi said he is looking forward to having discussions with British leaders and engaging in bilateral ties as he expressed on the future growth of China-U.K. relations in all fields, which would usher in a "golden time" for China-U.K. comprehensive strategic partnership.
Reuters also asked Xi on what he believes would be Britain's role in the modernization and globalization of the Chinese currency and stock markets.
The Chinese leader underscored London's role as "an important pump station in the world economic lifeline." With the U.K. being one of the global financial centers, Xi said that the strengthening of the China-U.K. financial cooperation would be a win-win choice for both countries.
According to Xi, China-U.K. financial cooperation started early and enjoyed rapid growth, with tremendous potential and leads for cooperation in various areas.
"We have accomplished much in recent years. Our two countries signed the bilateral currency swap agreement. China set up an RMB clearing bank in London," Xi wrote.
The Chinese leader also cited U.K. as the first country outside Asia to obtain the RQFII initial investment quota, the first Western country to issue RMB-denominated sovereign bond and the first major developed country to include RMB into its foreign exchange reserves. He said this is the highlight in the bilateral cooperation of the two countries.
Having benefited from the world economy, Xi also urged Chinese companies to contribute their share to world economic development. He added that China has grown into a global manufacturing power and it is ready to pursue cooperation of various forms with the U.K. and other countries in international production capacity and equipment manufacturing.
Among other things, President Xi was also asked if China will ensure that the AIIB will be transparent and have world-class governance.
Xi said that the AIIB is an international financial institution whose rules of operation are decided by its members through consultation, not by China alone.
"We agree that the AIIB should fully draw on the experience and practices of other multilateral development banks, observe high international standards in terms of governance structure, operation guidelines, and human resources management, and ensure its professional and efficient operation as well as transparency and integrity," Xi said.
On climate change, Xi said that it is a global challenge that needs global action and cooperation of other countries. He called on developed countries to do more and lead the way in addressing climate change, in keeping with the important principles laid down in the UNFCCC, such as "common but differentiated responsibilities," equity and respective capabilities.
When asked about the South China Sea issue, Xi said that China will strive to deliver more benefits of its development to neighboring countries and peoples. He added that China will continue to pursue friendship and partnership with its neighbors, build a harmonious, secure and prosperous neighborhood, and follow through on its policy of amity, sincerity, mutual-benefit and inclusiveness toward its neighbors.
