President Xi's upcoming UK visit comes at a time when the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Britain enters its second decade. For more on the their relations, CCTV talked to former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and he says the UK is very enthusiastic and hopeful about the visit.
Tony Blair: bilateral ties growing stronger
Q1： Thank you very much Mr Blair and it has been ten years since a Chinese President paid a state visit to UK and you were the Prime minister at that time How do you see this change during this past ten years for the China UK relationship
"When I was Prime Minister of the UK for 10 years I put a great deal of emphasis on the relationship with China on establishing a strong British China relationship and we had a state visit then in 2005 and we're delighted that the President President Xi Jinping coming to the UK it's going to be a very significant visit the ties between the 2 countries have got stronger and stronger over these past ten years and I think this is good and I welcome it very much," Blair said.
Q2: And also during this ten years and people also use the term the golden decade for the China Uk relations in this ten years and after this visit do you think the visit can bring this relationship to a new high level
"I think it's possible to get to an even higher and increased level of co-operation not just economically but politically how China develops it's role in the world it's got immense implications for everyone today there's no big global problem that can be solves without China the Chinese economy is a major part of the global economy today and for Britain you know we're very much an open nation we're a trading nation we have it here in the city of London the world's greatest financial center you know we are enthusiastic about developing the ties with China even further and making sure that this next decade is a golden decade," Blair said.
Q3： Yeah Also you mentioned that people exchanges is very important how do you think this kind of culture exchange can promote the bilateral relations of both countries.
"I think it's great that the presidents coming here and he'll meet the Prime Minister and the Queen and they'll be a lot of ceremony around that but people to people contacts are vitally important today because then if you get Chinese students we've got thousands of them coming to study in the UK we want to send more British students to study in China when that happens those people come back to their own country after studying they know more about the country they know more about it's people it's culture and they then become advocates for a stronger relationship so for me the…things like people to people exchanges cultural art not just business but education is really important we got major British Universities that are now established in China as well we got Schools British Schools that go also setup schools in China this is very important I think we need to do a lot more for example in the teaching of Mandarin here in the UK this is the way the world is going to be China is going to be such an important player in the 21st century it's going to be probably will finish this Century as the world's strongest power I mean those circumstances it's important we know not just about the geo politics of China but the culture how people think what makes them tick as we say what makes them what makes them motivated what gives them purpose help us to understand," Blair said.
