British
finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday Britain is a natural partner for
China's new Silk Road program, and as it leaves the European Union (EU) it
wants
more trade with the world not less.
China is one
of the countries Britain hopes to sign a free trade agreement with once it
leaves the EU, and London and Beijing have been keen to show that Britain's
withdrawal from the bloc will not affect ties.
The two
countries have in recent months announced closer cooperation in areas such as
financial services as the British government prepares to negotiate its EU
divorce.
Hammond
offered strong support for what China formally calls the Belt and Road
initiative, as he spoke at the opening of a summit on the plan in Beijing.
"It is
my belief that Britain, lying at the western end of the Belt and Road, is a
natural partner in this endeavor. Britain has for centuries been one of the
strongest advocates on an open global trading system," he said.
Britain can
be a natural partner in delivering infrastructure in Belt and Road countries by
supporting the finance and planning needed, Hammond said.
"As
China drives forward the Belt and Road initiative from the east, we in Britain
are a natural partner in the west, standing ready to work with all Belt and
Road partner countries to make a success of this initiative."
Britain
wants to convince its trading partners that its decision to leave the EU does
not mean it is against trade.
"As we
embark on a new chapter in our history, as we leave the European Union, we want
to maintain a close and open trading partnership with our European neighbors,
and at the same time pursue our ambition to secure free trade agreements around
the world with new partners and old allies alike," Hammond said.
"Our
ambition is for more trade, not less trade, and China clearly shares this
ambition."
Britain's
vote to leave the EU and the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president last
year have been two of the most obvious examples of growing unease in Western
countries about globalization.
Hammond said
there had to be an acknowledgement that rapid change had unsettled many people.
"As
leaders, we have to respond to these concerns by continuing to seek new
opportunities to expand trade but at the same time by ensuring that all our
citizens are reaping the benefits that trade brings."
REUTERS
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