Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Jia Qinglin arrived in
Birmingham Sunday starting an official goodwill visit to
Britain.
In a written statement released upon his arrival at Birmingham's
airport, Jia hailed the smooth development of the Sino-British
relationship, saying the two countries have made great achievements
in bilateral cooperation in various areas, along with effective
communication and coordination between the two countries over major
international and regional issues.
"I am sure that my visit will further deepen political trust,
promote mutually beneficial cooperation, increase mutual
understanding and friendship between the Chinese and British
peoples, and contribute to forging a stronger Sino-British
comprehensive strategic partnership in both breadth and depth," Jia
said.
In a meeting with Birmingham's city council members, Jia said
China's northeastern region is similar to Birmingham. He expressed
the hope that the two regions would strengthen cooperation in
trade, investment and other areas.
Jia flew here at the invitation of the British government,
leading a delegation of the CPPCC, China's top advisory body.
He will leave here for London on Monday. Britain is the first
leg of his four-nation Europe tour, which will also take him to
Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)
