On 12th April 2019, Consul General Zheng Xiyuan met with MP Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the British Conservative Party's 1922 Committee, and his wife at his residence. Deputy Consul General Fan Yingjie and staff accompanied him. Conservative local councilor candidate Shengke Zhi and representatives from some Chinese communities in the Greater Manchester region attended the meeting.
Consul General Zheng briefed Sir Graham on the links between Northern England and China and achievements in cooperation with China in various fields since President Xi Jinping's successful visit to Britain in 2015. He emphasised key local construction and cultural exchange projects undertaken or participated by local Chinese communities and expected Chairman Sir Graham to actively support events organised by Chinese communities in his constituency, pay close attention to their concerns and claims and promote Sino-British friendship and mutual understanding.
Sir Graham thanked Consul General Zheng for his invitation. He said that expanding cooperation with China is the consensus of major political parties in Britain and hoped that Britain would achieve greater development in Sino-British relations after 'Brexit'. He pointed out that in recent years the number of Chinese voters had been on a continuous rise and they had become a crucial building force for British economic and social development. The Conservative Party should listen more to the voices of Chinese voters and reflect social concerns of Chinese ethnic groups.
