英国驻华大使吴百纳访问重庆：在“黄金时代”打造更多“黄金成果”

□ 文/本刊记者 刘丁睿 Article/ Journalist Liu Dingrui

6月7日—8日，英国驻华大使吴百纳抵达重庆，开展为期两天的访问，努力推动英国与重庆市在“一带一路”和中英“黄金时代”背景下的多元化、全方位交流合作。吴百纳会见了重庆市市长唐良智，就双边关系、经贸和文化交流等领域进一步深入交谈。

唐良智表示，“近年来，重庆与英国商务交往频繁，英国是重庆三大国际贸易伙伴之一，也一直是中国企业投资欧洲的热门目的国。”2016年，重庆与英国双边进出口总额达到55.8亿元人民币，同比增长2.1%。其中，重庆从英国进口同比增长12.4%。截至2016年底，共有83家来自英国制造、房地产和信息通信技术等行业的企业选择落户重庆，实际利用外资达到25.2亿美元。

根据英国旅游局和英国签证移民局的最新统计数据，2017年1月到9月，中国赴英游客数量同比增加33%。2017年，英国为中国公民共发放65.5万份签证，同比增长13%，签证通过率高达98%。其中，学生签证为8.8万份，同比增长15%。位于成都和重庆的英国签证申请中心去年共接到36000份来自西南地区的英国签证申请，同比增长5%。

“英国国际贸易部已经启动了新的中国区域贸易计划，促进更广泛和更深入的中英双向投资伙伴关系，执行一贯的贸易政策，以获得更多的市场准入、规避商业风险、为未来贸易订单做准备”，吴百纳强调，“我们鼓励和支持西南地区企业考虑将英国作为投资目的国，我们也为落户中国西南地区的英国企业提供支持。”

7日晚，英国驻重庆总领事馆在重庆丽晶酒店举办“伊丽莎白女王生日庆典”招待会，重庆市政府副市长潘毅琴、英国驻华大使吴百纳、英国驻重庆总领事艾佩诗、市政府外事侨务办副主任唐文出席。

这是吴百纳第三次访问重庆。“中英关系得到了进一步加强。正如首相特蕾莎·梅早前访问中国时提到，中英‘黄金时代’进入新的阶段，我很高兴能到西南地区来传达这一信息。”吴百纳表示，英国驻重庆总领事馆正积极支持重庆实施大数据和智能战略，努力吸引更多高科技企业落户重庆，并与两江新区等本地伙伴合作，希望在教育和医疗卫生等方面有所作为。

“中英关系已进入‘黄金时代’深入发展时期，我们面临着更多的‘黄金机遇。”重庆副市长潘毅琴在庆典致辞中说，“英国是重庆在欧洲地区重要的合作伙伴之一，希望双方继续共同努力，加强在地方友好、文化旅游、清洁能源、金融服务、医疗养老等传统领域合作，并拓展大数据、人工智能、智慧城市等新兴领域合作，为中英关系‘黄金时代’打造更多‘黄金成果’。”

在庆典上，吴百纳和潘毅琴见证了英国驻重庆总领事馆与重庆市商务委员会工作备忘录的签署。双方同意建立更有效的沟通机制，定期分享商务信息，帮助重庆和英国企业发现更多贸易和投资机会。

活动现场，重庆文物保护志愿者向英国驻重庆总领事馆赠送了“重庆记忆老照片”“钢笔画下的老重庆”，以及《老重庆记忆路书》。让国外友人感受到重庆经典的文化魅力，加深对重庆历史文化的理解。

图片/市政府外事侨务办、英国驻重庆总领事馆提供

From June 7th to 8th, British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward carried out a two-day visit in Chongqing, with an effort to promote all-round and diversified exchange and cooperation between Britain and Chongqing under the background of "the Belt and Road" and "the Golden Era". During the two-day visit,Barbara Woodward met with Mayor of Chongqing, Tang Liangzhi, to further the negotiation in the fields of bilateral relations, economy, trade and cultural exchanges.

英国驻重庆总领事馆举办“伊丽莎白女王生日庆典”招待会。

Tang Liangzhi said:“In recent years, Chongqing and Britain have had frequent business contacts. Britain is one of the three major international trading partners of Chongqing, as well as a popular European country for Chinese enterprises to invest.” In 2016, the total import and export volume of Chongqing and Britain reached 5.58 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.1%. And Chongqing's imports from Britain reached a year-on-year increase of 12.4%. By the end of 2016, 83 enterprises from Britain’s industries such as manufacturing, real estate and ICT had settled in Chongqing, and foreign capital actually utilized had reached US$ 2.52 billion.

① 英国驻华大使吴百纳致辞。

According to the latest statistics from VisitBritain and UK Visas and Immigration, the number of Chinese tourists to Britain had a year-on-year increase of 36.3%. In 2017, Britain issued 655,000 visas for Chinese citizens, a year-on-year increase of 13%, and the visa pass rate was as high as 98%.Among them, student visas were 88,000, a 15%increase over the same period last year. In 2017,the UK Visa Application Centers in Chengdu and Chongqing received 36,000 visa applications from China’s Southwest, up 5%year-on-year.

② 英国驻重庆总领事馆与重庆市商务委员会签署工作备忘录。

Barbara Woodward mentioned that the UK's Department for International Trade has launched a new regional trade plan in China to promote wider and deeper bilateral investment partnerships and to implement consistent trade policies to gain more market access, avoid business risks and prepare for future trade orders. She also stressed that enterprises in China’s Southwest were encouraged and supported to invest in Britain,and those Britain enterprises settled in China’s Southwest would also acquire support.

On the evening of June 7th, the British Consulate-General in Chongqing held the Reception for Celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday in a hotel called Regent Chongqing.Deputy Mayor of Chongqing-Pan Yiqin, British Ambassador to China-Barbara Woodward, British Consul General in Chongqing-Cecille El Beleidi and Deputy Director of Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government-Tang Wen attended the Reception.

重庆市文物保护志愿者向英国驻重庆总领事馆赠送“钢笔画下的老重庆”。

This was Barbara Woodward’s third visit to Chongqing. She said, “As Prime Minister Theresa May mentioned in her earlier visit in China, relations between China and Britain have been strengthened. And I am pleasant to convey the message that China and Britain’s relations in “the Golden Era” have entered into a new stage. The British Consulate-General in Chongqing is actively supporting Chongqing to implement big data strategy and intelligence strategy, strive to attract more high-tech enterprises to settle in Chongqing and help them cooperate with local enterprises in Liangjiang New Area, and make achievements in education and medical services.”

As Deputy Mayor of Chongqing Pan Yiqin delivered in the celebration speech, “There are more “Golden Opportunities”when China-UK relations have entered a period of deepening development in this “Golden Era”. As one of Chongqing's important partners in Europe, I hope Britain will continue to cooperate with Chongqing in areas such as cultural tourism,clean energy, financial services, medical care, and to expand cooperation in big data, artificial intelligence, smart cities and other emerging fields. Through cooperation, more “Golden Fruits”will bear in this “Golden Era”.”

At the Celebration, Barbara Woodward and Pan Yiqin witnessed the signing of working memorandum of the British Consulate-General in Chongqing and Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce. The two sides agreed to establish a more effective communication mechanism, regularly share business information, and help Chongqing and British companies fi nd more trade and investment opportunities.

At the Queen’s Birthday Celebration, volunteers of cultural relics preservation in Chongqing presented “Old Photos with Chongqing Memory”, “Pen and Ink Drawing-Old Chongqing”andThirty-nine Routes to Learn About Chongqing’s History and Cultureto the British Consulate-General in Chongqing as gifts.Through these photos, drawings and books, foreign friends experienced the charm of Chongqing’s classic culture, and they also had deeper understanding of Chongqing's historical culture.

Picture / Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs of Chongqing Municipal

People’s Governmentthe British Consulate-General in Chongqing