China a huge opportunity for Britain: Cameron

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China provides a “huge opportunity” for British businesses, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday after meeting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here. Cameron announced trade agreements with China worth 1.4 billion pounds (around $2.2 billion), BBC reported.

The British Prime Minister hailed what he termed a “deeper dialogue” but said political and economic progress must go hand in hand with respect for human rights. Human rights was “the best guarantor" of prosperity and stability, Cameron said. During talks in No.10 Downing Street, the two leaders restated their desire to double the value of two-way trade by 2015.

British companies would get greater access to Chinese markets in sectors like architecture, civil engineering and research and development. They also discussed cultural and educational relationships — based on a large number of Chinese students at British universities — and global issues such as international security and climate change.

Stressing that China and Britain were “different countries with different histories”, Cameron said freedom of expression and respect for human rights “underpins stability and prosperity for us all”. Wen Jiabao earlier told a news conference in London: “On human rights, China and Britain should respect each other, respect the facts, treat each other as equals, engage in more co-operation than finger-pointing and resolve our differences through dialogue.”