英国外交大臣访问中国

Weird? it's certainly yes. Wonderful? You decide. The UK's 15-million-pound pavilion for this year's Shanghai World Expo.

"Alright, OK? There we are."

David Miliband inserted the last rod today. He is here to try to patch up a relationship that is increasingly prickly soured by the failure of Copenhagen which Britain blamed on China and Beijing's decision to execute this man, Akmal Shaikh, for drug smuggling. His family said he was mentally ill. China put him to death anyway.

And as China is getting more assertive, finding common ground is increasingly tough.

"This is Major General Yang."

"Hello, Major General"

"Nihao, David xiansheng."

This is one place it exists: Britain helping to train Chinese peace keepers by teaching them English, 2000 on UN missions. On the biggest issues like climate change and possible sanctions on Iran, Britain and China aren't talking the same language.

"I don't accept this: we are in a conflictual relationship with China. We don't agree on everything. The truth about the modern world is that we do need a positive relationship with China, but China needs a positive relationship with the rest of the world. That's why I'm here today. "

This is exactly what Britain wants to see China do more. But while many in the West believe China's power influence is rising fast, China there is more cautious. Many are unsure here whether this country is ready to take on the burdens a great power intends.

Feng Zhongping advises China's leaders on relations with Europe. He says China still sees itself as a developing nation, not a superpower - its priority: tackling internal problems.

"For many countries, people in Europe, in UK itself, consider China is already a global power. You must play greater roles on many issues. So that is going to be, for myself, for (from) my point of view, is going to be a major cause of your (our) frictions."

And the friction over climate change may just be the start. David Miliband is hoping to persuade China to be a partner for Britain. But China isn't sure. As is showed in Copenhagen, it's now willing to say no to the West.

Glossary [only for reference]

 pavilion [countable]: a temporary building or tent which is used for public entertainment or exhibitions and is often large with a lot of space and light

World Expo: a large-scale, global, non-commercial Expo, which aims to promote the exchange of ideas and development of the world economy, culture, science and technology, to allow exhibitors to publicise and display their achievements and improve international relationships.

insert [transitive]: to put something inside or into something else

rod [countable]: a long thin pole or bar

patch something/somebody up [phrasal verb]:to end an argument because you want to stay friendly with someone

prickly: a prickly subject causes a lot of disagreements and difficulties

assertive: behaving in a confident way, so that people notice you

common ground: opinions, interests and aims that you share with sb, although you may not agree with them about other things

mission [countable]: an important job that involves travelling somewhere, done by a member of the airforce, army etc, or by a spacecraft

talk the same language: to be able to communicate easily with another person because you share similar opinions and experience

conflictual: characterized by or having to do with conflict

take on: to agree to do some work or be responsible for something

superpower [countable]: a nation that has very great military and political power

from somebody's point of view: if you consider something from a particular point of view, you are using one aspect of a situation in order to judge that situation.