Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Jia Qinglin arrived in Birmingham Sunday starting an official goodwill visit to Britain.

 

In a written statement released upon his arrival at Birmingham's airport, Jia hailed the smooth development of the Sino-British relationship, saying the two countries have made great achievements in bilateral cooperation in various areas, along with effective communication and coordination between the two countries over major international and regional issues.

 

"I am sure that my visit will further deepen political trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, increase mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and British peoples, and contribute to forging a stronger Sino-British comprehensive strategic partnership in both breadth and depth," Jia said.

 

In a meeting with Birmingham's city council members, Jia said China's northeastern region is similar to Birmingham. He expressed the hope that the two regions would strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and other areas.

 

Jia flew here at the invitation of the British government, leading a delegation of the CPPCC, China's top advisory body.

 

He will leave here for London on Monday. Britain is the first leg of his four-nation Europe tour, which will also take him to Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)