China welcomes Britain's call for closer ties

Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday issued a strategy document setting out plans for closer ties with China, urging Beijing to play its part on the world stage by helping tackle the global financial crisis and to combat climate change.

The document was released ahead of a trip to Europe from January 27 by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that will include stops in Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Britain and is set to focus on economic cooperation.

"This is Britain's first publicly issued strategy document regarding China; it fully expresses the importance Britain places on developing Sino-British relations and reflects the huge potential and vast prospects for cooperation between the two countries. We welcome that," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

"Under the current circumstances, China and Britain should join hands to work together, deepen cooperation and overcome difficulties together, so as to contribute to the early recovery of the global economy," the ministry said in a statement on its website (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn).

It did not mention specific areas in which the two could cooperate, but said working together on "a range of areas" was in line with the interests of both countries.

A Chinese diplomat said on Thursday that Wen would preside over the signing of agreements on trade, investment, energy and other areas in the four countries that host him, but he did not give details.

In addition to the bilateral meetings, Wen will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

(Reporting by Jason Subler; Editing by Sugita Katyal)