The fourth UK-China Forum opened in Beijing Wednesday with the aim of promoting mutual understanding and comprehensive development of the relations between China and Britain.

During the two-day gathering, participants from both countries, under the theme of "managing change, planning for the future", are slated to discuss issues concerning China's economy, reform of China's state-owned enterprises, finance and insurance, as well as the establishment of a global business system.

Song Jian, former vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and co-chairman of the UK-China Forum, spoke at the opening ceremony.

Song said the UK-China Forum has contributed much to the sound progress of Sino-British relations since its establishment. The fourth meeting will summarize the previous three meetings and focus its discussion on industry and finance this time, which will be more effective and concentrated, he said.

Michael Heseltine, former British deputy prime minister and co-chairman of the forum, said that since the launch of the UK-China Forum in 1999, bilateral relations have continued to progress from strength to strength.

"Managing change, planning for the future" will involve close cooperation and sharing between Britain and China, Heseltine said.

The forum, a high-level, non-governmental gathering, was initiated by heads of government of China and Britain in 1998 when British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited China.

Fourth Meeting of the UK-China Forum, Beijing Speech for Lord Heseltine, Chairman, UK Side
Opening night banquet, 29th October 2003
Kempinski Hotel, Beijing

It is with enormous pleasure that I am back in Beijing to open the fourth meeting of the UK-China Forum. I am accompanied by a distinguished and influential group of UK businessmen, financiers and academics. All of us greatly look forward to discussions over the next day and a half that will be extensive, challenging and rewarding.

It is always an exciting time to be in China, but especially so after your triumph in space on October 16. [Take glass]: Please join me in raising a glass to congratulate Lt Col. Yang Liwei and the many thousands of experts and workers who contributed to the success of China's manned space mission [Toast]. Recently, however, I learned that he may not have been the first Chinese man in space.

We all know that China invented gunpowder, fireworks and kites, but in 1500 it appears a Mr. Wan Hu put them all together and invented space travel! He was the first rocket man, who strapped two kites to his wicker chair, installed 47 black-powder "fire-arrows" and asked his assistants to light the fuses. Controversy surrounds the questions as to whether he is still up there or he returned safely to earth. Whatever happened 500 years ago no one can underestimate the achievement when China became the third country to put a man in space. Since the launch of the UK-China Forum in 1999, following our Prime Minister's first visit to China, bilateral relations have continued to progress from strength to strength. The recent Prime Ministerial visit in July has increased the momentum, John Prescott the Deputy Prime Minister will be in Beijing within the next two weeks and there are many further senior visits planned on both sides.

I am proud that the Forum has played a major part not only in this strengthening and deepening of relations but also in promoting awareness that the Sino-British relationship is much more than a political one; the strength of the relationship resides as equally in our trade and investment links as it does in the political framework.

As the single largest European investor in China, the UK has an important role to play in China's economic transformation. We are here in Beijing to discuss "Managing Change -- Planning for the future" and we have concentrated our interests this time in the industrial and financial sectors: These are both areas where I believe the UK has a lot to offer in cooperation with our friends in China. The UK is a small country, minute in comparison with the People's Republic of China. But it is a country that has led the way in many respects and, in terms of its trade and investment relations with China, it punches well above its weight. Our commitment to, and investment in China, causes many of our companies' future to be inextricably linked with yours -- and that lends greater weight and importance to our discussions here.

We hope, in turn, that Chinese companies will increasingly see the UK as a stepping stone to Europe and increase the level of investment in the UK-something that I know our representatives from the UK's Western regions, the Welsh Development Agency, are keen to promote.

Chinese students have already taken that step -- they now form the largest, single group of foreign students at UK higher education institutions. The links of student and alma mater can prove some of the most lasting in people's professional lives; it is certainly an extremely positive aspect of the relationship that so many young Chinese are getting to know the UK as are UK students learning about China.

"Managing Change-Planning for the future" has to involve close cooperation and a sharing of experience. In our global world no country is an island. No country is implementing such a rapid transformation, and on such a scale, as China is currently experiencing. We in the UK have much to learn from your success; there are also experiences and lessons that the UK has accumulated from its own "revolutions" that can be usefully discussed and shared in order to avoid the disruption that rapid change can bring.

Speaking of revolution, I understand that before the Olympic Games in 2008 Beijing will experience the biggest revolution in the world ... when you build a ferris wheel that will overshadow even our London Eye. This project will involve European investment, and is a striking example of the cooperation that is key to our Forum theme "Planning for the future" -- particularly in the face of growing globalization.

Sir Alec Broers will talk more about this tomorrow; here, I will only remark that from my perspective there can be no more exciting time to work with China. I want to see our two countries take as much advantage as possible of the areas where we share strengths, and where we complement each other's capabilities. I believe the discussions over the next day and a half will explore just this, and I hope this meeting of the UK-China Forum will be an opportunity to promote exactly this synergy.

Finally, please join me in a toast to the success of the Fourth Meeting of the UK-China Forum. Gan bei [pr. gan - bay] Cheers!

(Source: Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2003)