Interview: "Golden era" of China-UK relations to benefit world at large

Chinese President Xi Jinping's just-concluded visit to Britain has opened a "golden era" which will not merely benefit the two countries, but infuse dynamism into the European economy, leading Bangladesh foreign policy analysts said.

They said the visit also comes as a big boon for the broader global economy and could help with the ongoing recovery.

According to experts in Bangladesh, President Xi's successful state visit to Britain last week also demonstrated his idea of building a new model of international relations with a philosophy of win-win cooperation at its core.

"It is indeed heralding a new era of economic, political and other cooperation between England and China that will be a win-win situation for both countries," said Wali-ur-Rahman, Bangladesh's ex-foreign secretary.

The career diplomat, who was a special envoy of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (1997-1998), said Britain understood the current reality and China's contemporary importance and relevance.

Times have changed and China is no longer a famine stricken country, he said, adding "It was clearly not too late for the UK to understand this reality, as was proven by the reception to Xi by Queen Elizabeth II herself."

"China has seen a huge resurgence by spreading its impact to Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. China is the largest trading partner of the U.S., so considering all these factors it is indeed a golden visit by President Xi to England," he said.

Countries in Asia, including Bangladesh and India, are getting open-handed support from China for their economic and industrial sectors, he said.

"China's rise as an economic and strategic power heralds a new era for working together with other four (permanent) members of the UN (Security Council) to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity."

Muhammad Zamir, who once served as Bangladesh's ambassador in various countries in Europe, said Xi's visit apparently helped Britain-China relations reach a new height and eased tension with the West.

He expressed his belief that greater economic cooperation between the two countries will help each other henceforth.

Chinese investments including the setting up of Britain's first nuclear power plant will drive the UK economy forward and create new opportunities for European nations still feeling the pinch of recession, he noted.

"China is really in a position to support countries in Europe to inject new dynamism into their economies," said Zamir, adding that China is immensely contributing to Asia's macroeconomic stability.

"We now look forward to seeing the implementation of the decisions which both countries made during Xi's visit."

Ashfaqur Rahman, also a former ambassador, shared the view, saying, "So far we understand successful cooperation will have a huge impact on the entire European economy, which is striving for growth momentum."

He said the European economic boom will benefit not only China but also countries across the world including Bangladesh.

It's good to see that both China and Britain understood what they needed to do from today's global perspective in which China is the only country which has the ability to support ailing economies anywhere in the world, he added.

Rahman lauded Xi's idea of building a new model of international relations with a win-win foundation, saying it will pave the way for improvement in global diplomatic efforts.

"The hope is that this new illustrious connection with the UK will be hailed by all and positively influence China's future connections in the region and beyond," he said. Endit