China's UK Ambassador: Growth to inject certainty, positivity in world

China cannot develop in isolation from the world, while the world cannot prosper without China.

That was the message from Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Ambassador to the UK, speaking on Friday a day after the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its fourth plenary session in Beijing.

At the session, guiding principles were established for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period: upholding the Party's overall leadership; putting the people first; pursuing high-quality development; deepening reform; promoting interplay between an efficient market and a well-functioning government; and ensuring both development and security.

In his speech, Ambassador Zheng noted that the plenary session represented a call to action for the entire country to seize the momentum and advance Chinese modernization.

He added that the meeting sent out a positive message of China's readiness to share opportunities and seek common development with the world, that China would expand institutional opening up, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and promote broader international economic flows, with the country's development "surely continuing to inject certainty and positive energy into the world."

Positive progress

Zheng pointed out that since last year, under the strategic guidance of leaders from the UK and China, "positive progress" had been made in relations, despite on some occasions the relationship hacing been "disturbed and undermined by anti-China forces."

"The improvement and development of China-UK relations is in the fundamental interest of people in both countries, and it requires the concerted efforts of both sides," Zheng said.

He added that the two countries "should uphold mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs", and should "commit to mutually-beneficial cooperation, create new highlights of cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples."

It was also noted that British participants at the gathering expressed "sincere admiration" for China's development achievements and looked forward to China "continuing to inject new momentum and positive energy into world peace and development." 

It was added that they would "stand ready to continue supporting practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the UK and China, thus contributing to the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations."