Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and UK Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, co-chaired a Sino-UK high-level people-to-people dialogue in Shanghai on Dec 6.

Liu indicated that since the foundation of the Sino-UK high-level people-to-people exchange mechanism four years ago, China and the UK have carried out pragmatic cooperation in many areas including education, science, culture, health, media and tourism that has promoted mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

At the beginning of this golden age of the Sino-UK relationship, the two countries have great potential for economic and social cooperation. People-to-people exchanges serve to boost Sino-UK relationship and friendship, Liu said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and former UK Prime Minister David Cameron agreed in a meeting at 10 Downing Street on Oct 21, 2015 to open a golden age of an everlasting, win-win Sino-UK relationship.

She proposed to expand people-to-people exchange areas, with special attention to the youth. It’s also necessary to strengthen regional and local cooperation for closer people-to-people ties and the two countries’ comprehensive development.

Hunt said that China and the UK’s people-to-people cooperation in all areas has made great progress and added that the UK is willing to work together with China for its further promotion.

After the meeting, the two sides issued a declaration for the fourth conference of Sino-UK high-level people-to-people exchange and also signed 12 cooperation agreements.