UK viewed as a Belt and Road Initiative partner

The United Kingdom is an important partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, a senior Chinese official said in London on Monday.

Zhu Qin, minister and deputy head of mission at China's embassy in the UK, said the Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to create inclusive global growth through infrastructure connectivity,"has become a new highlight of the China-UK 'golden era' and will continue to be so".

Zhu made the remarks at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, where he addressed an audience of academics, financial industry experts, and journalists.

He said the two countries should reinforce policy coordination to further strengthen Belt and Road collaboration, and especially increase cooperation in financial services, infrastructure, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

Zhu added that the Belt and Road vision offers a timely solution to boost world development.

"The Belt and Road is an initiative that focuses on the fundamental issues of development. It aims (to achieve) more inclusive globalization that benefits more people," he said."We want to integrate China's developments with the developments of other countries around the region and this is the benefit of win-win collaboration of China and abroad."

Initially proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative seeks to foster economic growth by boosting trade and investment links between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The British government has keenly endorsed the initiative. Chancellor Philip Hammond said at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in May that "Britain, lying at the western end of the Belt and Road, is a natural partner in this endeavor". The summit was attended by representatives from more than 130 countries and territories, as well as at least 80 international organizations.

Last month, the City of London led the establishment of the Belt and Road Investor Alliance in Beijing, which was supported by both the Chinese and British governments. The alliance will lead the development of guidelines for Belt and Road projects, enabling the improved management of environmental risks, and making projects more attractive to investors.

Many of the UK's private-sector organizations are already developing products and solutions linked to the Belt and Road vision. For example, London-based ICBC Standard Bank launched two indexes that pull data from 65 countries within the area covered by the Belt and Road Initiative, so transparent and quantifiable information is available.