Visit to set course for ties, says Xi

China and UK poised to sign agreements worth billions of pounds

President Xi Jinping says his state visit to the United Kingdom this week will chart the course for future bilateral ties.

The Chinese leader has also praised Britain's "visionary and strategic choice" to become China's best friend in the West.

Xi, who made the remarks in a written interview with Reuters on the eve of his departure for the UK on Monday, will lead a 200-member business delegation, with billions of pounds of investment planned.

The visit, the first to the UK by a Chinese head of state in a decade and Xi's first to the country in more than 20 years, has been hailed by British and Chinese officials as the start of "a golden era" of relations.

London has been preparing for the visit since last year, and the UK took a lead in joining the Beijing-initiated Asian Infrastructure Development Bank last winter.

The UK has also said that it will be the Western country that is most open to China.

"This is a visionary and strategic choice that fully meets Britain's own long-term interest," Xi said.

During the four-day trip, which begins officially on Tuesday, Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan are scheduled to take part in more than 200 events with members of the British royal family and high-ranking government officials.

Besides addressing Parliament, Xi, who is a soccer fan, will also visit Manchester City, the English Premier League leaders.

Deals worth billions of pounds are expected to be signed during the visit in areas including finance, nuclear energy and education.

The most anticipated one is China's participation in Britain's nuclear plants, which, if realized, will be a milestone in Chinese nuclear expansion into developed countries.

Xi said, "China is ready to pursue cooperation of various forms with the UK and other countries in international production capacity and equipment manufacturing to synergize respective strengths."

Commenting on obstacles Chinese firms meet in their global expansion plans, Xi said, "Problems that occur in business operations should not be politicized, and Chinese companies should not be viewed with bias.

"There should be no swing doors or glass doors that are placed as non-economic or non-market-based barriers."

Britain has been advancing efforts to make London a key platform for the globalization of China's currency.

Xi said China is ready to consider strengthening the connectivity of the two countries' financial markets, and London can leverage its unique strengths in the financial sector in the modernization and globalization of China's financial market.

Feng Zhongping, a European studies expert and vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said "China is paying more and more attention to the UK's service sector, while the UK is eager for China's financial investment.

"In the past, it was China's market in exchange for the UK's capital and technology. Now the pattern is changing."

Zhang Zhizhou, professor of international relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said he preferred to describe current Sino-British relations as more of a "mature marriage" than a "honeymoon".

"The mutual trust between China and the UK is fairly strong," Zhang said. "Even if there is some unexpected episode, the bigger picture will not be affected."

Xi last visited the UK in 1994 when he was an official in Fujian province.