WANG Ke from China.org.cn

China.org.cn is honored to invite His Royal Highness the Duke of York -- Prince Andrew (Andrew Albert Christian Edward) to China Talk.

The Duke of York is the second son and the third child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. Named Andrew Albert Christian Edward, he was known as Prince Andrew until his marriage, when he was created The Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh.

In 2001, after serving for 22 years in the Royal Navy, The Duke of York was invited to take on the role of the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

Today's topics for the Duke of York:

1) As the trade ambassador, what does the Duke think of the current trade and investment between China and UK? And how does the Duke evaluate your role in the exchanges?

2) In the earlier this year, both China and UK proposed that the bilateral trade should be increased to 60 billion US dollars. But due to the negative impact of the global financial crisis, does the Duke still believe that the two counties can achieve the goal?

3) What kinds of challenges and opportunities does the crisis bring to China and UK? What’s the role that China should play in the crisis?

4) The 7th Asia-Europe Meeting in October urged that all the counties should unite to seek a way out of the global financial crisis. How should Asian and European countries, especially China and UK, join hands to survive the economic difficulties?

5) The UK is an important international financial center, and is always a top provider of financial services. As China is fostering various types of financial markets, what can China learn from UK in promoting innovation in this sector?

6) The UK plans to build up 10 Eco-friendly Communities along the River Thames and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched a joint program in the east coast of Shanghai to introduce the advanced technologies of environment protection to China. Does the Duke expect to be involved in promoting the exchanges between the two sides, particularly in environment protection and high technology?

7) This year marks the 30th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up. China is now looking back what it’s done. The Duke have visited China for so many times and this time he will also visit Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu and other cities, Compared with before, what’s the Duke's  impression of China after the 30 years’ development? As an onlooker, what does the Duke think about China’s policy? What’re the lessons that China should learn?

(China.org.cn by WANG Ke November 6, 2008)