Amid a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair emphasized on Tuesday the importance of maintaining strong engagement between China and the UK, pointing to overlapping interests and complementary strengths.
Speaking to China Global Television Network (CGTN) during the three-day 2025 Summer Davos forum in north China's Tianjin, Blair emphasized the growing potential for collaboration in critical fields such as green energy and artificial intelligence.
He highlighted that despite inevitable disagreements, both countries must remain focused on areas where collaboration benefits not only their own populations but the world at large.
"The green economy is one. China is the largest producer of electric vehicles, I think the largest investor in renewable energy. The UK's got a big interest in renewable energy, the world has got an interest in tackling climate change. Then artificial intelligence, after America and China, the UK's got a claim to be the third. UK universities are amongst the best in the world, so there's lots that we can do together and it's important therefore, whatever the differences are going to be and there will be differences, that we keep that strong level of engagement. I'm very happy when we have Chinese young people coming to the UK to study. I think that's good. I would like to see more come the other way because these people to people contacts are every bit as important as government to government," he said.
Reflecting on this year's 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, he drew a sobering lesson from history, warning against the dangers of great powers falling into conflict.
"I think one lesson is to be absolutely vigilant in ensuring that great powers do not fall out with each other and fall into conflict because it was a disaster for everybody. But the second lesson is that after 1945, Europe, which had been at war with each other by the way for the last hundreds of years and then went through two world wars, fought principally, it was fought in China of course as well, but fought principally on the continent of Europe. And now you have got the European Union with people at peace. So that's also a lesson of optimism," he said.
This year's Summer Davos, officially known as the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025, concluded Thursday. Organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and themed "Entrepreneurship for a New Era," the event focused on five key areas: deciphering the world economy, China's outlook, disrupted industries, investing in people and the planet, and exploring new energy and materials.
China-UK cooperation can flourish despite challenges: former British PM
