CCTV9英语新闻12月：卡梅伦推动欧盟与中国的自由贸易协定（在线收听）

President Xi Jinping has met with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron in Beijing. Xi Jinping stressed the importance of the relationship between China and the UK, saying that the two countries must respect each other and deepen mutual trust. He welcomed UK investment, especially in the service sector, and added that the two nations could learn from each other in terms of innovation and reforms.

For more on David Cameron's visit to China, we have our reporters Richard Bestic in London and Su Yuting here in Beijing. Let’s start with Su Yuting.

Q1:Li Keqiang and David Cameron have taken a very pragmatic approach to their discussions. What have they actually come up with so far?

A1: China and Britain have reached important agreements in five areas including infrastructure and cooperation in nuclear power and high-speed rail. China has promised to invest in equities and stock in UK’s nuclear power projects. The UK will also help Chinese banks set up branches in England. Both countries have also agreed to further expand trade in high-tech sectors, and supporting bilateral cooperation in space, oceanic wind power and the development of new energy. There is also agreement that exports of high-tech products to China should increase and the two leaders also agreed to set up innovation and research funds totalling 200 million pounds.

Under the topic of media cooperation, the countries’ leaders have said they will enhance cooperation on both traditional and new media. They plan to create a more solid foundation for cooperation in this area.

The UK has also agreed to further streamline visa procedures for Chinese travellers and businessmen, making it easy for them to establish partnerships and assess potential investment opportunities. Additional agreements are expected to be signed during the next two legs of Cameron’s visit which take him to China’s business hub, Shanghai, and the city of Chengdu.

Let’s talk to our correspondent in London, Richard Bestic.

Q1: Richard, Cameron has just concluded the first day of his visit to China. Do you think the British Prime Minister is satisfied so far?

Q2: Cameron has proposed a radical EU-China ’free trade agreement’. This proposal has come as something of a surprise. How far advanced is the idea?

Mangmang: Britain has played a leading role in boosting trade between China and the EU... How has China-UK trade developed in recent years?

A2: China and the UK have seen a remarkable growth in trade and economic ties in recent years. Chinese tourists are one of the fastest growing groups of visitors to the UK - a record 179 thousand in 2012, spending a total of 300 million pounds. Visitors from China spend on average of some 17-hundred pounds in Britain per visit. That’s almost twice as much as a typical American tourist. And now, Chinese people visiting the EU will not need to apply separately for a UK visa. In 2012, the trade volume between the two countries reached 63 billion US dollars, a 7.5 percent increase from 2011. Meanwhile, the UK was the most popular European destination for Chinese investment. Chinese enterprises invested 8 billion US dollars in the UK in 2012 more than the total invested in 2009 to 2011.