China, Scotland enjoy various cooperation: ambassador

Over the past 50 years since the establishment of China-UK ambassadorial diplomatic relations, the two countries have seen fruitful cooperation in economy and trade, Zheng said in a speech at the China-Scotland Cooperation Forum held in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Thursday.

The Scottish economy is unique, and resources are abundant, Zheng added, noting that over the past two years, cooperation between the two sides has continued to grow, fully demonstrating its strong resilience.

The business communities of both China and the UK should strengthen dialogue and expand mutually beneficial cooperation to push for growth, improve people's livelihood and help achieve sustainable development goals, the ambassador added.

Also at the meeting, Fang Wenjian, chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, said that in recent years, Chinese enterprises have expanded their investment in Scotland from traditional areas to broader and more diversified areas, adding that they have also actively undertaken corporate social responsibility and made an increasingly significant contribution to the Scottish economy, especially low-carbon development.

Sherard Cowper-Coles, chair of the China-Britain Business Council, said Scottish exports to China have been growing rapidly, and that cooperation between Scotland and China is increasingly close and with a bright future in many areas including education, culture, and tourism.

Representatives of Chinese and British enterprises also attended the event to explore more opportunities for cooperation.

The Chinese investment in Scotland is a win-win situation, said Graeme White, global head of Inward Investment, Strategy and New Investment at the Scottish Development International, during an interview with Xinhua after the meeting.

"We're very keen to have a partnership approach with China, across a whole range of areas from tourism to student exchanges. And in my area, very importantly, investment," White told Xinhua.

From the meeting, White added, "you can see that we have shared objectives in terms of going towards a net zero future and creating the jobs and industries that will be needed for the 21st century."