Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on July 23, 2018

应国务委员兼外交部长王毅邀请，大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国外交大臣杰里米·亨特将于7月30日对中国进行正式访问并举行第九次中英战略对话。 

　　问：请介绍英国外交大臣此次访问有关安排。原卫生大臣亨特接任外交大臣不足一个月即来华举行中英战略对话，中方对此访有何期待？ 

　　答：英国外交大臣亨特访华期间，国务院总理李克强，中共中央政治局委员、中央外事工作委员会办公室主任杨洁篪将分别同其举行会见，国务委员兼外交部长王毅将同其共同主持战略对话，就双边关系和国际地区热点问题交换意见。 

At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) will pay an official visit to China and hold the 9th China-UK Strategic Dialogue on July 30. 

Q: Could you give us more details about this visit? This visit is taking place in just less than one month since former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt became Foreign Secretary. What is China's expectation for this visit? 

A: During Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's visit, Premier Li Keqiang and member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Yang Jiechi will hold meetings with him on separate occasions. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair the Strategic Dialogue and exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional hotspot issues with him. 

　　当前，中英关系发展势头良好。今年初，梅首相成功访华并举行新一轮中英总理年度会晤，两国领导人就推进中英关系“黄金时代”达成重要共识。亨特外交大臣就职不久即来华举行中英战略对话，显示出英方对发展双边关系的高度重视。中方同样高度重视深化中英各领域合作，相信亨特外交大臣此访将增进两国政治互信，推动中英面向21世纪全球全面战略伙伴关系在新时期取得更大发展。在当前国际形势下，中英作为联合国安理会常任理事国、国际秩序的维护者、自由贸易的倡导者，也有必要就共同维护以规则为基础的国际秩序、构建开放型世界经济、反对保护主义和单边主义发出积极正面的信息。 

The China-UK relationship is developing with sound momentum now. At the beginning of this year, Prime Minister Theresa May paid a successful visit to China and held a new round of the Annual China-UK Prime Ministers' Meeting and the leaders of the two countries reached important consensus on advancing the "Golden Era" for China-UK bilateral relations. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is coming to China to hold the China-UK Strategic Dialogue shortly after he took office, which showcases the high importance the UK attaches to its relations with China. Likewise, China also highly values deepening its cooperation with the UK in various fields. We believe this visit will strengthen our political mutual trust and promote greater development of the China-UK global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century in the new era. Under the current international circumstances, it is imperative for China and the UK, both of whom are the permanent members of the Security Council, guardians of the international order and champions of the free trade, to send out positive and upbeat messages of upholding the rule-based international order, building an open world economy and opposing protectionism and unilateralism.