It is an honour to speak at this important forum.

I commend President Xi for his excellent speech this morning…

…and for setting in train such a bold and visionary project.

This initiative is truly ground-breaking in the scale of its ambition…

…spanning more than sixty-five countries, across four continents…

…and it has the potential to raise the living standards of 70% of the global population.

Context

China’s ability to drive phenomenal economic development is well proven.

Since 1980 the Chinese economy has grown by over 2,500%…

…this year, it is expected to account for a quarter of global economic growth.

And of course the reason economic growth matters is because of how it transforms peoples’ lives…

…800 million Chinese citizens have been lifted out of poverty in the past 40 years.

Driving forward

Trade has played an important role in China’s growth.

Indeed, global trade has underpinned much of the increase in prosperity that we have seen globally.

We have to acknowledge however that rapid economic change has been unsettling for some of our citizens.

As leaders we must respond to these concerns…

…by continuing to seek new opportunities for trade…

…but at the same time ensuring that all our citizens are reaping the benefits that it brings.

The Belt and Road initiative provides us with a great opportunity to put these words into action.

As President Xi has said…

…the initiative must “follow the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefit”.

I agree.

And it is my belief that Britain, lying at the Western end of the Belt and Road, is a natural partner in this endeavour.

Britain has, for centuries been one of the strongest advocates of an open global trading system.

And as we embark on a new chapter in our history, as we leave the European Union…

…we want to maintain a close and open trading partnership with our European neighbours…

…but at the same time, it is our ambition to secure free trade agreements around the world with new partners and old allies alike.

Our ambition is for more trade, not less.

China clearly shares this ambition…

…and I support President Xi’s target to have mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreements in place with 40% of Belt and Road countries by the end of this year.

Central to the project is of course the need to address infrastructure challenges along the Belt and Road.

Asia’s infrastructure needs alone are estimated at $26 trillion out to 2030…

…and China has already pledged to invest $4 trillion in Belt and Road countries through this initiative.

The UK can be a natural partner in delivering this infrastructure…

…supporting the finance, design, and delivery needed to make President Xi’s vision a reality.

Conclusion

China and the UK have a long and rich trading history…

…indeed the English first attempted to establish a trade route to China in the 16th Century…

…although it took us four decades to find one!

I welcome the Belt and Road initiative as an opportunity to strengthen these ties…

…and I am excited to see the progress that has already been made.

In January, for the first time, a freight train carried goods from Yiwu on the East China Sea along a 7,500 mile journey to East London…

…it passed through seven countries hauling thirty four containers of goods during its historic fifteen-day voyage…

…and, last week, it returned through Europe and central Asia to China, with containers full of British goods.

This is just one example of the opportunities that the Belt and Road initiative is delivering…

…from the 900 projects that are already underway – representing almost $1 trillion of investment.

So my message today is clear:

As China drives forward the Belt and Road initiative from the East…

…we in Britain are a natural partner in the West…

…standing ready to work with all partner countries to make a success of this initiative…

…and delivering the jobs, growth and higher living standards that must be our central ambition for all of our citizens.

Latest guidance from the The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) about the ‘WannaCry’ malware.

The United Nations Secretary General today announced that Stephen O’Brien will be succeeded as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA) by Sir Mark Lowcock. In taking up the post, Sir Mark will leave his position as Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development (DFID).

Responding to the announcement Rt Hon Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, said:

I would like to thank Stephen O’Brien for his outstanding leadership of OCHA and the reform he has brought to improve our global responses to humanitarian crises. He has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the United Nations and for the cause of humanitarian relief across the world.

I wish Mark Lowcock every success in the future in his role as Under-Secretary-General for OCHA. I would like to thank him for his long standing service to the Civil Service and his work to deliver DFID’s commitments to the poorest people in the world.

Sir Jeremy Heywood, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, added:

I am delighted that Mark Lowcock has been appointed to this critical UN role. Mark has been an outstanding Permanent Secretary of DFID and a great colleague. With humanitarian crises right now affecting so many parts of the world, Mark will bring long-standing practical expertise and British know-how to this important international position.

Sir Mark Lowcock said:

It has been an enormous privilege to serve DFID for the last thirty-two years, especially as Permanent Secretary since 2011. And I cannot imagine anything more worthwhile than joining the Secretary General’s new team to realise the inspiring vision he has set for the United Nations.

I am particularly looking forward to building on Stephen O’Brien’s excellent legacy in ensuring OCHA does the best it possibly can to relieve the suffering of people whose lives continue to be devastated by humanitarian crises across the world.

Arrangements for Sir Mark’s successor at DFID will be announced shortly.

The Prime Minister called the South Korean President Moon Jae-In earlier this morning to congratulate him on his recent electoral success.

They agreed the UK and Republic of Korea would remain close partners on a wide range of issues, including trade, defence and security. They agreed the bilateral relationship would continue to go from strength to strength.

They agreed it would be important for the international community to continue to pursue a robust response to North Korean violations of UN Security Council resolutions and other international obligations.

The Prime Minister opened the Somalia Conference at Lancaster House in London today, alongside President Farmajo of Somalia, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres and African Union Commission Chairperson Faki.

She also had meetings with President Kenyatta of Kenya, Prime Minister Hailemariam of Ethiopia and President Museveni of Uganda. In her meetings with these leaders, the Prime Minister discussed the importance of the Conference in bringing together the international community to help Somalia build a more secure, stable and prosperous future for its people. They spoke about the fight against Al Shabaab, and the vital ongoing role of AMISOM in these efforts. Discussions also covered the wider region, including the security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

The Prime Minister and President Kenyatta discussed Britain and Kenya’s close bilateral relationship in the areas of defence, security, counter-terrorism and trade, and agreed to work together to build on this collaboration. They also discussed the significance of the Commonwealth, and looked ahead to the Commonwealth Summit which the UK will host in April next year.

In her discussion with Prime Minister Hailemariam, the Prime Minister highlighted the compact agreement creating jobs for refugees as an example of our constructive partnership. Prime Minister Hailemariam welcomed the support Britain has provided for Ethiopia’s development, which he said had been instrumental in lifting millions of people out of poverty.

The Prime Minister and President Museveni discussed the strong partnership between the UK and Uganda, following recent visits by Britain’s Foreign and International Development secretaries. They committed to working together to strengthen the ties between our nations in the years ahead.