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Brexit will not impact China-UK relations: minister

Xinhua, February 15, 2017 Adjust font size:

Brexit would not impact China-UK relations, said a visiting British minister describing bilateral ties as entering a golden era.

UK Minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma said that leaving the European Union presented the United Kingdom with many opportunities when it comes to other friends such as China

"We have the opportunity to start dialogue and talk to China about what our trade relations might look like once we have left the European Union," he said after unveiling an expanded UK Visa Application Center Tuesday in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province.

Fuzhou is the second leg of Sharma's four-stop China visit. His delegation, which contains UK healthcare and life science business leaders, is visiting Xiamen Wednesday.

In Fuzhou, Sharma reassured Chinese investors that Britain is a good place to do business and remains "very much open for business" as the British economy continues to remain strong after last year's Brexit referendum.

"We have seen growth forecasts for Britain upgraded. We have seen a lot investment across the world flowing into UK, particularly from Asia and China," he said.

The minister has also said there was a wealth of investment and export opportunities for the UK across southern China. He particularly highlighted room for cooperation in health and education. Sharma's delegation has been meeting Chinese hospital and university officials during the visit.

This year marks 45 years of bilateral ambassadorial relations between the two sides. China is Britain's second largest trading partner outside the European Union, while Britain is home to more Chinese investment than any European country. Endi