Britain supports China's policy to develop its western regions and is likely to further expand its economic and trade co-operation with China, said a senior British trade official in Beijing Monday.
During the meeting with Shi Guangsheng, minister of China's Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTEC), Richard Caborn, the visiting British minister for trade, expressed his country's willingness to take part in China's "go west" campaign.
His delegation will visit some western cities, including Lanzhou and Chengdu, to investigate the investment environment in the coming days.
"The rapid development of the relatively poor areas depends on both our efforts and the introduction of foreign capital and technology," said Shi.
Infrastructure construction, environmental protection, agriculture, science and education are regarded as the most lucrative sectors for investors from home and abroad.
At the same time, Shi hoped the two sides would strengthen co-operation between small and medium-sized enterprises.
Caborn Monday also attended the one-day UK-China Pipeline Workshop, which was co-sponsored by the China International Engineering Constructing Corporation and Trade Partners UK.
The forum focused on Britain's pipeline capability and technology and China's west-east natural gas transmission.
Caborn opened the forum by saying: "China, as one of the fastest growing markets in the world, offers huge trade and investment opportunities for British companies."
China is the world's most populous country, boasting the second largest market for energy after the United States. For environmental reasons, China has now embarked on a major expansion of gas production and use.
The amount of gas used currently accounts for only about 3 percent of total energy usage in China, compared with 30 percent in Britain. Caborn expected China will triple its gas consumption by 2010.
Caborn said China "plays a major role in ensuring the long-term strength and stability of the world economy," thus Britain has always supported China's accession to the World Trade Organization.
According to statistics from MOFTEC, the volume of trade between the two countries reached US$9.9 billion last year, a surge of 26.9 percent from the previous year.
Moreover, Britain continued to be the top investor in China out of all the members of the European Union.
(China Daily 06/02/2001)
