BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron was leading his country's largest ever delegation to China yesterday, which will focus squarely on expanding trade ties with the world's second-largest economy.

Cameron, accompanied by four Cabinet ministers and about 50 business leaders, will arrive today for two days of talks in Beijing.

Britain's new government has made trade with developing economies its key foreign policy priority, hoping to spur the country's sluggish growth by boosting exports.

"Our message is simple," Cameron said in a statement. "Britain is now open for business, has a very business-friendly government, and wants to have a much stronger relationship with China."

He said the tour would "mark another step to making Britain the successful, open, trading and pro-business country that I want it to be."

Last year, China was Britain's third-largest source of imports and ninth-largest export market.

Cameron is being joined by executives from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Tesco PLC, Barclays bank and Diageo PLC, among others. Treasury chief George Osborne, Business Secretary Vince Cable, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne and Education Secretary Michael Gove are also on the trip.

Cameron will meet with President Hu Jintao and holds talks today in Beijing with Premier Wen Jiabao. In a speech tomorrow, Cameron will insist that his country still has clout on the world stage.

"He will remind China that Britain matters, and that Britain is a strong trading partner for China," said an official.

Cable, who is already in China, said British firms had agreed a number of multimillion pound deals ahead of Cameron's arrival. He said architects Benoy had won three contracts worth 4 million pounds (US$6.5 million).

Chinese authorities also agreed to ensure that only whisky produced in Scotland can be marketed in China as Scotch.

"If it says Scotch whisky on the bottle, it will be Scotch whisky in the bottle in China's bars and restaurants" said Agriculture Minister Jim Paice.

• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)
• cabinet [´kæbinit] n.橱，柜；内阁 (初中英语单词)
• export [ik´spɔ:t] vt.&n.输出，出口 (初中英语单词)
• energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)
• climate [´klaimit] n.气候；特殊气候地带 (初中英语单词)
• premier [´premiə] n.总理 a.首要的 (初中英语单词)
• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)
• partner [´pɑ:tnə] n.伙伴 v.同....合作 (初中英语单词)
• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)
• agriculture [´ægrikʌltʃə] n.农业；农事 (初中英语单词)
• relationship [ri´leiʃənʃip] n.关系；联系；亲属关系 (高中英语单词)
• scotch [skɔtʃ] vt.&n.刻痕(于)；划伤 (高中英语单词)
• squarely [´skwɛəli] ad.成方形地；正直地 (英语四级单词)
• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)
• delegation [,deli´geiʃən] n.代表团 (英语六级单词)
• sluggish [´slʌgiʃ] a.呆滞的；偷懒的 (英语六级单词)