On April 17, Chinese Consul General Tang Rui met with Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, at the Consulate General. The two sides held in-depth discussions on deepening and expanding practical cooperation between China and Greater Manchester across various fields.

Consul General Tang Rui noted that China-UK relations have continued to improve in recent years. Not long ago, Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid a historic visit to China, adding new momentum to bilateral cooperation. Over the past decade, Greater Manchester has achieved an average economic growth rate of 3.1%. Recognized as the "second city" of the UK, it is full of vitality and opportunities. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, cooperation between China and Greater Manchester has yielded positive results. This year marks a significant year for bilateral cooperation, and he expressed the hope that all sides would seize the 40th anniversary of the Wuhan-Manchester sister city relationship as an opportunity to achieve even more fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation.

Mayor Burnham fondly recalled his visits to China and stated that Greater Manchester attaches great importance to developing relations with China. He expressed a strong willingness to make substantial efforts to achieve more solid results in cooperation in areas such as green development, electric buses, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences.