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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the importance of people-to-people communication in strengthening mutual trust and respect between countries during a visit to Shanghai, east China, on Saturday.
The British Prime Minister took part in a question-and-answer session with Chinese middle school students, during which he quoted the Chinese proverb "the blind men feel the elephant" to illustrate the importance of understanding China as a whole.
According to the parable, several blind men touch different parts of an elephant, and each comes to their own conclusion: one feels the trunk and thinks it's a snake; another touches the leg and says it's a pillar; and a third touches the belly and thinks it's a wall.
“That’s a very good way of explaining why things like this visit are so important,” said Starmer.
On Friday afternoon, Starmer visited the centuries-old Yuyuan Garden. While at this iconic site, the British Prime Minister was impressed by the traditional Chinese lanterns, which creatively combined elements of Chinese and British cultures: the River Thames in London and the Huangpu River in Shanghai, as well as Scottish tartan patterns and a horse motif, a symbol of the approaching Spring Festival (Chinese Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar).
This is the first visit by a British prime minister to China in eight years. Shanghai is the second stop after Beijing on Starmer's four-day trip to China.
“I am absolutely convinced that the more we communicate, the stronger the foundation of mutual trust and respect we can build,” said Starmer, adding that this is where the bright future and vast opportunities lie.
The delegation, led by K. Starmer, included the heads of more than 50 major UK companies and representatives of British institutions. They represent leading sectors of the British economy, including finance, medicine, manufacturing, culture, and the creative industries.
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