China's President Xi Jinping is on a state visit to UK at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II from Oct. 19 to 23, 2015. Xi's visit to the U.K. is the first by a Chinese president in over a decade.

2015 is the year of China-UK cultural communication. U.K culture fairs were successfully held in China in the first half of 2015. The U.K. showed its products in many places in China. Chinese culture themed fair "Innovation China" will be shown in the U.K. in the second half of the year.

To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of playwrights Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare, China and the U.K. are planning to hold relevant commemoration activities.

Talks on China-EU Investment Treaty began in 2013. The U.K, a significant member state in the EU and an advocate of free trade, hold an optimistic attitude towards research on a China-EU Free Trade Zone. China hopes that the U.K. can act supportive during negotiations with the EU on the China-EU Free Trade Zone.