CHINESE NEW YEAR – Message from Charge D’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy

ACCORDING to the Chinese Zodiac, 2010 is the Year of golden Tiger. In China，it is said that the God of Wealth rides a tiger. I hope the year of tiger will bring wealth and prosperity to all of you in this year and beyond.

I am delighted to see that Sino-UK relations are strong and dynamic. Chinese investment in the UK grew almost 6-fold in the past three years. The number of Chinese students and tourists is increasing at double digit; Chinese shoppers are showing in large numbers in the high street. Meanwhile, Britain maintains its position as the largest EU investor in China and the third largest EU trading partner for China. China and UK work together closely in global issues.

I am particularly impressed by the interest in China amongst British public, which is growing and the general trend is towards greater knowledge and balanced understanding about China. The publication of this supplement is itself a testament of that interest.

This year China is to host the World Expo which I am sure will be a great event to visit and observe China. I hope through all those events, you will find that our two countries share a lot in their development, and the two peoples actually have a lot in common.

Happy Chinese New Year.