Visiting London Mayor Ken Livingstone opened a new office of London in Beijing on Tuesday to boost cooperation and exchanges between the two cities.

The London Economic Development and Inward Investment office is the first the city has established abroad to boost trade, investment and social exchanges.

Livingstone said the office aimed to promote the exchanges in commerce, trade and tourism.

The two cities could learn much from each other, especially in staging the Olympic Games, the mayor said.

Sebastian Coe, head of the London delegation bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, met Tuesday with Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Both sides pledged to support each other's Olympic Games projects and carry forward the spirit of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

It is believed that about 7,700 Chinese students are studying in London, while the number of Chinese tourists and business people going to Britain has increased rapidly in the last six years.

Livingstone said London was the gateway for Chinese enterprises into the European market, and hosted the European and British headquarters of many Chinese enterprises.

Nearly 400 Chinese enterprises have established branches in Britain.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2006)