China and Britain on Monday pledged joint efforts to develop a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to benefit both countries and to help create a safer, more prosperous and open world.

China and Britain share common interests in working together on bilateral, multilateral and global issues, the two sides said in a joint statement issued following talks between visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London.

"We see the relationship between our two countries as among our top international priorities," the statement said.

The two countries agreed to strengthen their bilateral and multilateral cooperation in various fields.

In the statement, both sides recalled the important achievements made since Blair's visit to China last July, saying that the Task Forces established during that visit, aimed at stepping up the development of bilateral relations, "produced new proposals in trade and investment, finance, energy, education, science and technology, environment and sustainable development."

The statement said "the breadth and depth of China-UK relations are illustrated" by the proposals and the ever increasing cooperation between the two countries in environmental management and protection, energy, nonproliferation, counter-terrorism and combating organized crimes.

In order to consolidate the bilateral relationship, both sides agree to increase the exchanges of high-level visits and reinforce cooperation in fields such as strategic security and nonproliferation, the statement said.

In the statement, released after the signing of a series of memoranda of understanding during Wen's ongoing visit that started on Sunday, the two sides also agreed to boost cooperation in trade and investment in the future.

The statement also said Wen and Blair "had a friendly and open exchanges of views on issues relating to Hong Kong."

They reaffirmed their governments' commitments to the implementation of the Sino-UK Joint Declaration and agreed that it is in the interests of both sides to maintain and promote Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in accordance with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and the Basic Law.

"The UK reaffirms its consistent position on the question of Taiwan as set out in the China-UK Communique of 1972, in which the UK acknowledged the Chinese position that Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China and recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China," the statement said.

Both China and Britain also reiterated their determination to combat terrorism and to promote nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.

Britain "welcomes China's commitment to nonproliferation and the actions it has taken to that end" and "China's leading role in the Six Party Talks on the nuclear issues on the Korean peninsular," the statement said.

The two sides also pledged to work together for the UN Millennium Development Goals, including the elimination of poverty, hunger, disease, environmental degradation, illiteracy and discrimination against women.

The statement said both sides are committed to international trade liberalization and will continue to advance the Doha Development Agenda negotiations and work toward reaching a framework agreement in 2004.

They also agreed to enhance mutual cooperation on protection of intellectual property rights, share scientific and economic experience to take forward both countries' efforts to achieve a low carbon economy and sustainable development.

The statement also dealt with issues such as making concerted efforts to help developing countries in addressing poverty, maintaining world peace and security, the fight against AIDS and sustainable development in Africa, among other topics.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2004)