On the afternoon of March 21, 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held telephone talks with his British counterpart David Cameron.

Extending his congratulations to Li on his endorsement as China's premier, Cameron said China's development offers an important opportunity for the rest of the world. Britain stands ready to make concerted efforts with China to deepen practical cooperation in various areas and strengthen coordination in international affairs so as to add fresh impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

Li thanked Cameron for sending a message and making a phone call to offer his congratulations. Li said, as influential powers in the world, China and Britain share a broad range of common interests in both bilateral and multilateral areas. It is the shared consensus of the two sides to promote the development of bilateral ties. To promote and deepen cooperation is not only in the interests of both nations but is also conducive to world peace and prosperity, he said. It is important the two sides treat each other as equals, respect each other's core interests, properly handle sensitive issues and take concrete steps to fulfill the aspiration for a better relationship so as to promote the stable and sound development of China-Britain relations, the Chinese premier said.