UK keen to partner with China on green development

Britain's participation in the International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing will help strengthen Britain-China partnership on green development and contribute more to achieving a greener future in the world, said a senior British official.

Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary of Britain's Department for International Trade, told Xinhua in an interview that Britain has been "enthusiastic" in its contributions to the expo.

"This (the expo) will be a huge thing across the world and the UK wants to play its full-part in that and we want to work with China, and collaborate with China, and with all countries in the world on these really important issues facing us," she said.

With the theme of "Live Green, Live Better," the expo at the foot of the Great Wall in the Chinese capital's Yanqing District opened to the public last week and will last until Oct. 7.

The expo brings together participants from over 110 countries and international organizations as well as over 120 "non-official exhibitors," which present innovative forms of green development in the 503-hectare expo site and open a new chapter in the expo's history with the highest-ever attendance.

The British exhibition, which occupies a space of 2,000 square meters, hosts a number of gardens that demonstrate the country's expertise in horticulture.

"We've got a huge number of different types of gardens, within that some of the themes are a natural woodland area, a meadow land. We've got a biodiversity area, there's a living wall. We're really encouraging people to go along and see it. Our overall theme is 'British Creativity in the Horticultural Space', and our expertise is in this area," Romeo said.

She noted that the British pavilion received 1,200 visitors at the expo on day one, and 30,000 visitors by the end of day four.

In a statement made before the start of the expo, British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward, said that Britain was "honored to be part of the Beijing Expo" and believed that it would further strengthen "our green partnership with China."

"It's a great opportunity for the UK to showcase British expertise and excellence in horticultural creativity. It's a good opportunity for us to show all the really good innovative work we're doing there," Romeo said.

Through their participation at the expo, Romeo said Britain is keen to partner with China on this mission for sustainable development.

"In terms of the sustainability and green tech space, we want to be world leader in clean energy, in clean growth, sustainability, sustainable agri-tech and all those spaces. So we're looking to do that on the global stage, and in particular with China," Romeo said.

"China is hosting this expo. We want to partner with them and we also believe that China and the UK -- which are already very strong trading partners -- can work together in this space, with these great environmental challenges facing the world," she said.

"We can work together, and partner, to deliver something that is good for the world and global prosperity, while cutting harmful emissions and protecting the environment," she added.