China's head-of-state diplomacy: Writing new stories of China-UK friendly cooperation with vision, courage of Icebreaking Mission

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attends an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the "Icebreaking Mission" in China-UK trade, where he reads out a congratulatory letter sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the event, in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Seventy years ago, visionary British entrepreneurs broke the ice of ideology and opened the door for China-UK trade cooperation.

"Seventy years ago, British entrepreneurs represented by Jack Perry, keenly seeing the bright future of the New China and the huge potential of China-UK cooperation, broke the ice of ideology with courage and resolve, and took the lead in opening up the channel of China-UK trade exchanges." This is President Xi Jinping's high evaluation of the “Icebreaking Mission” in his congratulatory letter to an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the “Icebreaking Mission” in China-UK trade recently.

Starting from the “Icebreaking Mission,” China-UK trade has continued to grow and has now exceeded $100 billion. China-UK cooperation enjoys unprecedented scope and the integration of interests, which not only benefits the two peoples, but also contributes to world peace and development.

Today's world faces multiple challenges while economic globalization faces headwinds. It is all the more important to break through the "ice" of protectionism, the "ice" of outdated thinking, and the "ice" of rigid confrontation.

"It is hoped that people of vision from all walks of life in China and Britain will carry on the pioneering spirit of vision, openness and cooperation, work hard to break new grounds for win-win cooperation, promote the building of an open world economy, and make greater contributions to promoting China-UK friendship and cooperation," Xi said in his congratulatory letter.

Stephen Perry, son of Jack Perry and Chairman of the 48 Group Club of the UK, said that the spirit of icebreaking has been inherited in his family. Like the elder generation who were confident in China's development, Stephen Perry and his peers firmly believe in the broad development prospects and opportunities of China.

Over the past 70 years, the spirit of icebreaking has been passed down from generation to generation, pushing China-UK trade cooperation to new heights, while bringing fruitful results in exchanges and cooperation in more areas.