Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday that China and Britain have agreed to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership, which he said is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples and conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity.

Wen made the remarks when he met separately with Britain's Lord Falconer of the House of Lords and the Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin, who both voiced their support for the British government to develop its relations with China and expressed their willingness to increase contacts with China's National People's Congress in legislation, justice, education and other fields.

Wen described parliamentary exchanges as an important part of Sino-UK relationship. He expressed the belief that the two countries will make even great progress in their bilateral relations by increasing contacts and exchanges on the basis of mutual-respect and equality.

During his three-day UK visit, the Chinese premier also met with leading members of the 48 Group club and praised the group for its courage of pioneering Sino-UK trade in the 1950s soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China. He hoped that the 48 Group club will, as always, continue to play an active role in promoting trade and economic relations between the two countries.

In other developments during Wen's UK tour, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and other officials accompanying Wen on the visit met with their British counterparts respectively, exchanging views on the development of bilateral relations as well as on the reform of the United Nations, the reconstruction of Iraq and macroeconomic control.

During the visit, the two sides also signed a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding on cooperation in science, technology, education and petroleum as well as crackdown on illegal immigration.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2004)