I am delighted to take this opportunity to send my best wishes to visitors to your People's Daily online site as we enter what I hope and believe will be yet another landmark year.

Relations between our two nations are more substantive than they have ever been with China and Britain enjoying an extremely close association in a great many fields. These cover an immense range of important matters, from trade, investment and education through to climate change and sustainable development.

It is an indication of the breadth and depth of our exchanges that we have this year enjoyed a large number and variety of high-level contacts. I am confident that 2007 will see these continue, underlining the growing and strengthening partnership between Britain and China.

I send my warmest greetings for the future to you and your readers.

William Ehrman

Briish Ambassador to China