British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward delivered a speech on China-UK relations in the 21th Century at Nankai University in Tianjin, north China, 13 May, 2015. Barbara Woodward was invited to be the guest professor of Nankai University. 

 

The United Kingdom hopes to be a strong force of positive growth in Asia through its participation in the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the British Ambassador to China said in Tianjin.

 

The UK submitted its application to join AIIB as a founding member in March.

 

"We agree with China's analysis that Asia needs more investment in the infrastructure to help the economic growth. And Asia's growth will benefit the world," said Barbara Woodward, the first female British Ambassador in China.

 

The AIIB was first proposed by China in 2013 and will be formally established by the end of this year. With an initial subscribed capital of 50 billion USD and planned authorized capital of 100 billion USD, AIIB will focus on filling the real gap in infrastructure investment in Asia.

 

The UK plays an important role in other international and regional financial organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and European Investment Bank.

 

During her visit to Tianjin this time, Woodward also gave a speech in Nankai University where she once worked in 1987 as an English lecturer. In the speech, she made a metaphor that Diplomacy in the 21st Century is like a "ding", an ancient Chinese cooking vessel with three legs.

 

She said that the three legs of the new diplomacy are the exchange at the levels of governments, enterprises and the people. She said she hoped that China and UK could further strengthen the connections from the three dimensions at the same time. 

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment