Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses both Houses of British Parliament in London, Britain, Oct. 20, 2015. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
China and Britain have made lots of first achievements in their bilateral relations, President Xi Jinping said in his first public speech on Tuesday as part of his state visit. [Special coverage]
Addressing peers and members of parliament in the Royal Gallery at Westminster, Xi reviewed the historic relationship between the two countries.
"Although China and the UK are located at opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, we have a long shared deep mutual affection," he said.
He named the UK as the largest overseas offshore RMB trading center except for Hong Kong, and said it hosted more Chinese students and Confucius Institutes than any other European Union country.
He also mentioned that Britain had become the first western country to issue RMB sovereign bonds after another first, when it became the first major Western country to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founder member.
China and the UK are "increasingly inter-dependent and becoming a community of shared interests," he said.
In the speech, Xi quoted Shakespeare as well as ancient Chinese proverbs, and referenced the involvement of Chinese troops in the Normandy landings in World War II.
Xi also described entering the Palace of Westminster as like "going back in time".
"China's first code of statutes was compiled more than 2,000 years ago," said Xi.
"Today as the Chinese people are advancing the rule of law in an all-round way, they draw inspiration not only from China's own legal tradition, but also the best practices of other countries," Xi said.
Towards the end of his speech, Xi told the assembled MPs and ministers he hoped they would continue to "promote the UK's relations with China, strengthen our friendship and support our co-operation".
He added: "I hope you will build a bridge of understanding and co-operation so as to help create an even brighter and more promising future of our bilateral ties."
Xi arrived to address a joint session of parliament after a private lunch at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II. He told the parliamentarians although his visit had just started, he was "deeply impressed" by the vitality of China-UK relations.
Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan then travelled to Clarence House to meet the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall for tea. In the evening, the Queen will give a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for Xi.
On Wednesday morning, Xi will visit Imperial College London, the UK's number one research collaborator with China.
Then Xi and his wife will join the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a creative industry event at Lancaster House. The event will celebrate cultural collaboration between China and the UK.
Xi will meet the Prime Minister David Cameron at No 10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting.
In the afternoon, Xi and Cameron will join the UK-China Business Summit at Mansion House. Later in the afternoon, the President will visit Huawei Technologies.
The President will receive presentations looking at Huawei's 14 years in the UK, its innovative work with UK partners and the latest technology trends.
Wednesday evening, Xi will attend a Banquet at Guildhall given by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor and Xi will both make speeches at the end of the banquet.
