国内英语新闻:Chinese Embassy in Britain holds National Day reception

LONDON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Britain held a reception on Tuesday in celebration of the 64th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming briefed the participants on China's current development, citing a list of achievements made in developing bilateral relations between China and Britain as well as cooperation in the fields of economy, culture and education.

He said bilateral cooperation in various fields had advanced steadily while Chinese investments in Britain grew fast.

Since the beginning of last year, Chinese investments in Britain have totaled more than 12 billion U.S. dollars.

The two countries' central banks also signed a currency swap agreement, the first of its kind between China and major developed economies, worth 20 billion pounds (about 32 billion U.S. dollars).

The ambassador said China-Britain relations would bear more fruits if the two countries continue to respect each other's core interests and main concerns, while working together to enhance mutual political trust and strengthening practical cooperation.

British transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin also spoke highly of the progress the two countries had made in bilateral trade and investment, saying Britain had become a top destination of investments from China.

He said Britain and China could strengthen cooperation in many fields such as infrastructure construction, manufacturing, automotive industry and transport.

More than 400 people attended the reception including government officials, diplomats in Britain, representatives from universities, think tanks, and Chinese-invested enterprises, as well as Chinese nationals and students in Britain.