Michael Spence, president and provost of the University College London (UCL), commended China's recent development and its commitment to global cooperation, particularly in the realm of technology and education.

In an interview with CGTN on Friday during the Beijing Forum, Spence, who has visited China many times, praised the nation's efforts to integrate technology into everyday life and its strategy for international talent development.

"It's incredibly important that we get technology right ... explore the opportunities that are offered by things such as artificial intelligence," Spence said.

He highlighted the tremendous possibilities for using AI to improve healthcare delivery for China's large population if policy questions – such as remote adoption and public confidence in data usage – are addressed. He described the speed at which technology has been integrated into the everyday lives of Chinese people as "very impressive."

A major point of endorsement was China's commitment to international collaboration, particularly as outlined in its proposed 15th Five-Year Plan. The plan specifically mentioned leveraging international cooperation to raise more talent and enhance education efforts.

"Scientific endeavor has always been international," Spence emphasized. He noted that international collaboration is "really the only way that we're going to advance" and meet pressing global issues such as climate change and food insecurity.

He added that UCL has "benefited enormously from our collaboration to Chinese partners" and is grateful that China's latest plan is "keen to see that continued collaboration." He stressed that both the UK and Chinese governments are aligned on this, saying, "The world, as a whole, will be better off if the cleverest people are working together on the technologies for the future."

Finally, Spence affirmed the immense significance of cultural and personnel exchange between the UK and China. He called the world a "global village" facing shared problems and argued that education and joint talent development are "really the way of building a much more secure and harmonious future."

Videographer: Zhu Yonggen