British PM: Britain-China ties never been better

Special Report: Premier Wen's "trip of Confidence" to Europe

LONDON, Jan. 30 (Chinese media) -- The Britain-China ties

have never been better, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday in a

written interview with Chinese media.

Just one day before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao

arrives in London for an official visit, Brown said that Wen and he launched a

"new stage of this partnership" in Beijing last January, and the year since then

has been a "momentous one" in bilateral relations.

"Our bilateral engagement, and our cooperation on

issues of international concern, have deepened throughout the year with new

mechanisms established on foreign policy and economic cooperation," said Brown.

"The mutual respect and confidence we have developed

enable us to address difficult issues constructively," he said.

The British leader hoped that in 2009 the two

countries "can build on the strong foundations established so far -- through our

response to the global economic crisis, our cooperation in the G20, and our

approach to the crucial climate change negotiations in Copenhagen at the end of

the year."

"I believe we should set our joint ambitions high and

work tirelessly to achieve them," he said.

Brown said he would discuss global financial crisis

with Wen during his visit, noting that it would be "vital" for Britain and

China, two of the world's leading economies, to work together to tackle the

issue.

"Economic and financial ties between our countries

have never been stronger," hailed the British head of government, mentioning the

fact that Britain is the EU's largest investor in China and there are over 380

Chinese companies operating in Britain.

As for the upcoming financial summit scheduled for

April in London, Brown said that China and other major emerging economies would

play an "integral role" in "identifying the actions that will resolve the global

crisis and lay the foundations for stable growth for the 21st century."

"We must work together to strengthen our financial

sectors and international institutions to respond to this crisis and prevent

future ones," he called.

Brown also urged the world to support free trade,

noting "maintaining support for open markets will be vital to restoring the

health of the world economy."

"Protectionism is the wrong response to the current

crisis; turning inwards will harm our economies and delay the global return to

higher growth," he warned.

"Open markets are in all our interests including the

EU's and China's," he said. "We must stay dedicated to them," he

said.