**The UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband is in China to hold discussions with the country’s political leaders.**The two countries have disagreed over issues including climate change, Iran’s nuclear programme and executed British citizen Akmal Shaikh.
But Mr Miliband said Britain’s relationship with China was broad and the two countries should be seen as partners, rather than competitors.
He added: “Our future and China’s future are linked together.”
Political plot
During his visit, Mr Miliband will seek to persuade China to drop its opposition to a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment programme.
The US, France, the UK, Russia, China and Germany, otherwise known as the “P5 +1”, are currently discussing the possibility of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Iran insists its enrichment programme is for civilian use, but there are fears it is trying to develop a nuclear bomb.
Late last year, relations were strained between China and Britain when China ignored personal appeals from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown not to execute 53-year-old Briton Akmal Shaikh for drug smuggling.
“Mature relationships don’t depend on being in agreement all the time”
David Miliband
Mr Shaikh’s family had claimed that he was mentally ill.
There has also been a dispute over claims that China “hijacked” efforts to reach an agreement at the climate summit in Copenhagen.
Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband had accused China of vetoing two agreements on limiting emissions, but Beijing said the accusations were a political plot.
The foreign secretary said China recognised the UK as an important partner, but he acknowledged there were areas of dispute.
He added: "I think China wants to have a relationship where we are able to find areas of common ground, but it’s also important that where there are disagreements we don’t hide them and that’s what it means to be in an effective modern partnership.
"Mature relationships don’t depend on being in agreement all the time.
“They actually blossom and prosper when we recognise that there can be differences with dialogue.”
On Monday, Mr Miliband is expected to inaugurate the British pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and visit a training base for Chinese United Nations peacekeepers on Monday.
He will meet his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Tuesday and deliver a talk at Beijing’s Foreign Affairs University.