Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Welcoming Dinner for Chairman Zhou Xiaochuan: Join Hands to Forge Ahead for A New Chapter of China-UK Financial Cooperation

尊敬的中国金融学会会长周小川先生，

尊敬的英格兰银行行长卡尼先生，

尊敬的英国皇家国际问题研究所主席奥尼尔勋爵，

尊敬的英国中国商会会长方文建先生，

尊敬的英国汇丰集团主席杜嘉祺先生，

女士们，先生们：

　　大家晚上好！

　　很高兴出席英国48家集团俱乐部和英国中国商会联合举行的晚宴。我谨代表中国驻英国大使馆，对远道而来的周小川会长一行表示热烈欢迎！

　　周小川会长曾担任15年中国人民银行行长，是任职时间最长的中国央行行长。

Chairman Zhou,

Governor Carney,

Lord O'Neill,

Chairman Fang,

Chairman Tucker,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Good evening!

It is a real delight to join you at this dinner jointly hosted by the 48 Group Club and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to begin by extending a warm welcome to Chairman Zhou Xiaochuan and his delegation!

Chairman Zhou was Governor of the People's Bank of China for 15 years, the longest-serving governor of China's central bank.

　　这15年，是中国经济连创新高的15年，是中国金融业发展跨越两个世纪、历经亚洲和国际两场金融危机考验的15年，也是中英金融合作突飞猛进的15年。上个月，伦敦《中央银行》杂志授予周会长2019年终生成就奖，称赞他“以其高风亮节、思维缜密和锐意改革，为中国及其他地区的公共利益做出贡献”。我认为，这个奖项不仅是对周会长个人的褒奖，而且是对中国金融业的表彰，也是对中英金融合作的肯定。近年来，中英金融合作呈现三个“新”特点：

In those 15 years,

Chinese economy hit new records;

China's financial sector stood the test of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the international financial crisis in 2008;

And China-UK financial cooperation made big strides forward.

Last month, the London-based Central Banking publication honoured Chairman Zhou with the 2019 lifetime achievement award. He was recognized for his "high levels of integrity, intellectual rigour and bold reforms that have served the public interest in China and elsewhere".

I would like to see this award as more than just recognition of Chairman Zhou's achievement. It is an award for China's financial sector. It is also an award for China-UK financial cooperation.

In recent years, China-UK financial cooperation has enjoyed a strong growth with three new salient features:

　　首先，金融合作日益成为两国务实合作的“新动力”。在最近一次中英经济财金对话取得的72项成果中，超过半数成果与中英金融合作有关。两国央行共同发起成立G20绿色金融研究小组，鼓励商业部门加强绿色金融创新和境内外绿色债券市场互联互通。“沪伦通”的筹备工作正在紧锣密鼓地进行。中英还发布了《金融服务战略规划》，为进一步密切两国金融监管和商业合作奠定了坚实基础。

First, financial cooperation has increasingly become a "new engine" for China-UK business cooperation.

Let me give you a few examples:

China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue produced 72 outcomes in 2017. More than half are in the financial services sector.

The PBOC and the Bank of England have initiated the G20 Green Finance Study Group to encourage green finance innovation and enhance cross-border connectivity between green-bond markets.

Preparations for the Shanghai-London Stock Connect are well underway.

And our two countries have issued the China-UK Strategic Plan for Financial Services. This has laid a solid foundation for closer cooperation on financial supervision and business partnership.