May flies to China seeking stronger UK ties for post-Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May is flying to China looking to strengthen relations with the key economic partner for post-Brexit Britain.
May left Tuesday for a three-day trip, with stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan and meetings with Chinese premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping.
Fifty British business leaders, including the chief executives of automaker Jaguar Land Rover and drug firm AstraZeneca, have accompanied her.
“There are huge trade opportunities in China that we want to help British businesses take advantage of,” May said ahead of the trip.
“My visit will intensify the `Golden Era’ in UK-China relations. The depth of our relationship means we can have frank discussions on all issues,” continued May.
The British minister said the relationship was already “broad and deep” and delivered “real benefits for both countries”.
China is key to the government's plans for a "global Britain," forging new trade deals and diplomatic partnerships around the world after it leaves the European Union (EU).
British exports to China are up 60 percent since 2010, and China is expected to be one of Britain’s biggest foreign investors by 2020.
Prior to Britain’s decision to exit the bloc, Chinese President Xi Jinping had expressed hope that the country would remain an EU member to support the “deepening development of China-EU ties.”
China's ambassador to Britain, Li Xiaoming, wrote in the Daily Telegraph, the visit could herald the start of “Golden Era 2.0” between China and “an increasingly open and independent Britain.”
Bolstering ties with the world's second-largest economy became more urgent after Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU.
The British government has faced fierce criticism both at home and by the EU for its lack of clarity on its Brexit strategy.
The uncertainty has raised fears that Britain could crash out of the bloc without a trade deal, incurring heavy costs on domestic economy.
Nearly half of British voters support holding a second referendum on whether the UK should remain or leave the EU amid growing concerns about the government’s Brexit negotiations with the bloc, a new poll by The Guardian newspaper shows.
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