Overview of China-UK high-level exchanges since 2013

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British Prime Minister Theresa May is to embark on a three-day visit to China on Wednesday to open a new era in bilateral relations.

Chinese ambassador to London has claimed Brexit is a “strategic opportunity” to boost ties, saying “golden fruits” will be up for grabs when May arrives in China.

Both China and the UK have hailed a "golden era" in bilateral ties on many occasions, and in recent years the two countries have expanded cooperation and high-level officials from both sides have stepped up exchanges. Below is an overview of China-UK high-level exchanges since 2013.

December 2017: Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond visits China

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond on Dec. 15 for closer cooperation with China over the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hammond said Britain is willing to implement all important consensus reached with the Chinese side, and deepen cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, finance and nuclear power, to create a “golden age” of China-UK relations.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meeting with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who was attending the 9th economic and financial dialogue between China and Britain in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

December 2017: Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong visits UK

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong visited the UK for the fifth China-UK high-level people-to-people dialogue.

She met with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Dec. 5, both sides pledging to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to enhance the social foundation of bilateral relations.

Visiting Vice Premier Liu Yandong, left, met with British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street in London, Dec. 5, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

September 2017: Xi holds telephone talks with May

Chinese President Xi Jinping held telephone talks at request with May on Sept. 25. The two leaders exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula situation.

May attached importance to the significant influence of China on resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, appreciated the efforts China made and said her country was willing to enhance communication and coordination with China.

July 2017: Xi meets with May at G20 Hamburg Summit

President Xi met with May on July 7 amid the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hamburg, calling for more stable, rapid and sound development of bilateral relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Xi said China is willing to work with Britain to lift the global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century to a higher level, so as to better benefit the two peoples.

May said that Britain is committed to boosting the global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century between the two countries, and sticking to the general direction of the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations.

May 2017: Li meets with Philip Hammond

Premier Li met with Special Envoy of Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond of the UK on May 15, who was in China for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF). Hammond delivered a personally signed letter from Prime Minister Theresa May to Premier Li.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (2nd R) met with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (2nd L), who was special envoy of British Prime Minister Theresa May and was there for the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

March 2017: Li and May exchanges congratulatory messages

Premier Li and May exchanged congratulatory messages on Mar. 13, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial level diplomatic relations between both countries.

September 2016: May visited China for G20

President Xi met in Hangzhou with May on Sept. 5, who was in China for the G20 Summit. Xi said China is willing to work with the new UK government to constantly deepen political mutual trust and cooperation in various fields for the sake of more stable and better development of bilateral relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with British Prime Minister Theresa May, who was there to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit, in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 5, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

October 2015: President Xi visits UK

From Oct. 19 to 23, President Xi paid his first state visit to the UK. It was also the Chinese president's first visit to the country since 2005. During the visit, Xi met Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister David Cameron, and also visited Manchester City F.C.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and British Prime Minister David Cameron met with the media after their talks at 10 Downing Street in London, Oct. 21, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

President Xi's trip has witnessed the two countries signing an array of business deals worth billions of dollars, as both sides work together to usher in a "golden time" for bilateral ties.

According to Cameron, the deals totaled almost 40 billion pounds (some 62 billion US Dollars), including the landmark agreement on building the Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

August 2015: British foreign secretary in Beijing to prepare for Xi's visit

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond visited Beijing on Oct. 13 to prepare for President Xi's state visit to the UK in autumn.

"This visit will guide the long-term development of China-Britain ties and is of great significance," Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi said, while co-chairing a strategic dialogue with Hammond.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (R) and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond co-chaired a strategic dialogue between China and Britain in Beijing, Aug. 13, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

Hammond said the UK government is speeding up various preparation works and will enhance cooperation with China to ensure complete success of and positive results from the visit, thus elevating bilateral relations to a new level.

March 2015: Prince William visits China

President Xi met Prince William on Mar. 2 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and said the Royal Family had done a lot and contributed positively to changes and cooperation between the two countries in areas ranging from trade to environment protection and cultural exchanges.

According to reports, the two also discussed their mutual love of football and wildlife protection.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) met with Britain's Prince William at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 2, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

Prince William is the most senior British royal to visit China since the Queen's tour of the country in 1986. During his stay in Beijing, the prince visited the Forbidden City and a traditional courtyard house.

He then flew to Shanghai where he launched the three-day business exhibition called the Great Festival of Creativity, which promoted British innovation and push the benefits of doing business with UK firms.

June 2014: Premier Li visits UK

At the invitation of Cameron, Premier Li paid an official visit to the UK from June 16 to June 19 in 2014.

During a meeting with Cameron, Li proposed that China and Britain expand two-way trade to reach a target of 100 billion US dollars in 2015. Cameron said the UK is ready to promote the negotiations on the Europe-China investment agreement, and the construction of the Europe-China free trade zone.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) shook hands with British Prime Minister David Cameron during their annual meeting in London, June 17, 2014. /Xinhua Photo

Li and Cameron witnessed the signing of a series of bilateral cooperation documents after meeting.

Li also met Queen Elizabeth II and expressed China's appreciation for the support shown by the Queen and the rest of the British royal family in developing bilateral relations.

The Queen noted the great changes that have taken place in China since her visit in 1986. She added that more and more Chinese students and tourists are coming to the UK, and she hoped that these exchanges between youths from both sides would help broaden their vision and improve understanding and friendship.

December 2013: Cameron visits China

Cameron's Beijing visit in 2013 was highly watched as it is not only the first visit to China by a British prime minister since China's new leadership took power, but also the highest level of bilateral contacts between China and the UK in more than two years.

During the meeting with the UK prime minister at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Xi urged both sides to take the high ground, transcend differences in national conditions, political systems and values, treat each other as equals, accommodate each other's major concerns and core interests and plan for the future of China-UK relations so as to push for long-term healthy development of bilateral cooperation.

President Xi Jinping met with UK Prime Minister David Cameron at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on December 2. 2013. /Xinhua Photo

Cameron said the UK attaches great importance to China's success as well as UK-China cooperation, and the UK is ready to maintain high-level exchanges with China and to strengthen dialogue based on mutual respect to deepen understanding.

Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister David Cameron held a joint press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 2, 2013. /Xinhua Photo

On the same day at a joint press conference at the Great Hall of the People, Premier Li and Cameron together witnessed the signing of agreements in areas include investment, technology, finance, and culture.

2013-2017, 5th-9th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD)

From 2013 to 2017, China and the UK have successfully held five economic and financial dialogues cohosted by the Chinese vice premier and the British Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The establishment of the dialogue mechanism was announced by the leaders of the two countries in 2008, with the aim to conduct dialogues on the strategic, overall and long-term major issues in the economic and financial fields between China and the UK and continuously scale the China-UK economic cooperation and global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century to new heights.

As a major outcome reached at the recent EFD, China and Britain proposed a bilateral investment fund with the first round of 1 billion US dollars to support the Belt and Road Initiative.‍