The open and inclusive cooperation between China and Scotland has yielded many fruitful results. Over 50 Scottish companies have set up businesses in China. Chinese investment has found their way into energy, retail, automobile, innovation and other areas in Scotland. Let me give you a few examples.
China Railway No.3 Engineering Group has invested £10 billion in Scotland's comprehensive infrastructure projects.
China's Ctrip invested £1.4 billion and acquired the Edinburgh-headquartered Skyscanner.
China Three Gorges Corporation, together with the Portuguese company EDP Renewables, won a bid for the Moray Firth offshore wind project in Scotland. This has been a successful match of China's strength in engineering technology application and Britain's research and development capability in offshore wind power.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."
He was describing an age of profound development and transformation. Today, ours is also a time of profound development and transformation.
On the one hand,
Peace and development remains the over-aching theme and irreversible trend of our times;
Multi-polarisation, globalisation, IT application and cultural diversity continue to deepen;
Reform of the international order and governance system advances with accelerated pace;
Countries are increasingly connected and inter-dependent;
And there is increased equilibrium in the international balance of power.
On the other hand,
The world is facing growing uncertainties and destabilising factors;
Economic growth has been sluggish, the wealth gap widening, and regional hot-spots intensifying;
Non-traditional security threats such as terrorism, cyber insecurity, major epidemics and climate change continue to spread.
In a word, people around the world still face many common challenges.