皇冠体育app

Rural society currently comprises more than half of China鈥檚 population, and Sichuan in particular is one of the main areas for agricultural food production. It is therefore at the heart of the Chinese economy and has a core role to play in its development.

皇冠体育app Foreign Office Minister was taken on a tour of the village to learn about the daily lives of some of the thirteen thousand people living there and how local political systems complement those running nationally.

He said:

鈥淚t is important for Britain to engage with and understand the 鈥榦ther China鈥�, outside major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Half of China鈥檚 population - more people than the entire population of the European Union - live in the countryside.

鈥淐hina is a partner for growth for the UK and we need to forge closer relationships with the whole country. That includes knowing more about how rural Chinese society works and making sure that our engagement with China is well-informed.鈥�

Before visiting Zhongfeng, the Minister went to the Bifengxia Yaan Panda Base near Chengu to bid farewell to Tian Tian and Yang Guang: the two eight year old giant pandas shortly to depart China on loan to Edinburgh Zoo.

皇冠体育app agreement was originally signed in January 2011, during Vice Premier Li Keqiang鈥檚 visit to the UK. 皇冠体育appy will be the first giant pandas to reside in the UK for seventeen years and will be under the custodianship of Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)

皇冠体育app Minister added:

鈥溁使谔逵齛pp Chinese pandas coming to Britain are a symbol of the increased ties and greater mutual understanding between our two countries.

鈥淥nly nine countries outside China currently hold giant pandas and within Europe they can only currently be seen in Madrid, Vienna and Berlin. So this is a big vote of confidence in the expertise of the UK in researching and caring for this endangered species.鈥�