LONDON: China's peaceful development will not only create wealth for and bring harmony to China, but will also benefit other nations around the world, Cai Wu, minister of the Information Office of the State Council, said yesterday.

Cai told the Sino-British Media Forum in London that Britain and China have a lot to learn from and should cooperate with one another. This is important for boosting their partnership.

Peaceful development is China's natural choice in its modernization cause, he said. Beijing has vowed to help develop a harmonious world, where countries with different systems and cultures would prosper simultaneously and respect and aid each other.

"Our objective of developing a harmonious world is to build a democratic, fair, just, honest, friendly, vigorous and orderly society that is governed by law and where humans and nature coexist amicably," Cai said.

Hoping that China would sustain its development trend, he said the country's modernization drive began in the late 1978, when Deng Xiaoping began the reform and opening-up policy. China is expected to become a well-off society by 2020, when, Cai forecast, its overall gross domestic product (GDP) could reach $4 trillion and per-capita GDP could cross $3,000.

Turning to Sino-British relations, Cai said the peaceful and successful settlement of the Hong Kong issue in 1997 laid a solid foundation for the sound growth of the bilateral ties that have been marked by frequent high-level visits between the two countries.

President Hu Jintao and British Prime Minister Tony Blair met four times in 2005 alone after the two countries decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership in May 2004, Cai said.

"After the twists and turns in the second half of the 20th century, Sino-British relationship is maturing."

Britain is China's third largest trade partner in the European Union, with the volume of bilateral trade exceeding $30 billion in 2006.

The two sides have reached an initial agreement on "China Festival 2008" in Britain that will include a series of large-scale Chinese cultural programs, Cai said. The event follows the 2004 Chinese Culture Year and Chinese culture seasons later, as well as various British cultural activities held in China.

The minister called for more media exchanges between the two countries to promote mutual understanding and friendship.

Mass media in the two countries have increased exchanges and cooperation besides expanding coverage on one another's country in the past few years. That has helped strengthen mutual understanding and friendship.

Cai met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street late on Sunday, where they stressed the importance of media exchanges in promoting mutual understanding.

Source: China Daily