Joining hands in business and culture

President Xi Jinping meets with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in March. Xinhua

Nathanael Ming-Yan Wei, the first British-born person of Chinese heritage to become a member of the UK's House of Lords, says the trip would "galvanize trade, cultural exchange and dialogue" and take them to new levels.

"There are also many opportunities to cooperate on the global stage diplomatically: Fighting terrorism, safeguarding waters, maintaining peace in areas of potential conflict and providing assistance to help poorer regions develop infrastructure and tackle poverty," he says.

British media have reported that the Chinese president was expected to sign an agreement while in London that would firm up cooperation in nuclear energy. The deal could see Chinese companies build a reactor near a decommissioned plant in Essex in the southeast, which would be the first Chinese-designed and operated nuclear facility in a developed Western nation, according to the reports.

"Britain needs to deliver a fleet of new nuclear stations and it's vital we attract investors from around the world," says John Hutton, chairman of the Nuclear Industry Association. "China is a global leader in nuclear power and can bring expertise and capability of great value to Britain."

The Chinese nuclear plant design is expected to be capable of producing 1 gigawatt of electricity - enough to satisfy the needs of a million British households.

While some residents and politicians have protested the plans over concerns about the safety of China's nuclear technology, Fu Xiaolan, director of the University of Oxford's Technology and Management Centre for Development, says the cooperation was mutually beneficial.

In general, she says: "China and Britain can realize a strong union and become good partners." She says the governments were taking a "positive and pragmatic approach" regarding each other's national interests.

Wei adds: "Healthy progress has been made diplomatically and commercially over the past few years between our two countries. As China seeks to transition dramatically to a more sustainable, advanced and consumer-led economy, Britain has an opportunity to share its know-how and world-class services skills and content in areas as diverse as media, sport, leisure, hospitality, research, finance and education."

Tim Summers, a senior consulting fellow at London think tank Chatham House, says changes in global economic and commercial interactions also provide opportunities for Beijing and London such as those resulting from the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to improve China's connectivity with Europe, Asia and Africa.

Britain also should play a prominent role in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which was established this year and could aid this connectivity, he says, adding that British companies were already looking to engage with Chinese counterparts in third markets.

Liu, the Chinese ambassador, says Xi's visit to the UK would see the countries' leaders "map out a long-term development blueprint for bilateral ties, which will further deepen Sino-British cooperation and make our comprehensive strategic partnership stronger and more substantial".

More mature and stable relations would bring tangible benefits to both nations and contribute to world peace and development, he says.

Contact the writers at zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn and cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn