国际英语新闻:Feature: "Together We Fight against Virus" -- UK business sector voices support for China

LONDON, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- "The night is gone, the day is dawning, the sky and the bell are waking up together, the cherry blossoms are flying in the warm spring breeze, Wuhan, we are waiting for you ..."

After a monologue in Chinese, young British singer Phoebe Haines and a dozen students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama sang a song called "Chime of the dawn bells."

"You may feel alone now, but the world stands with you, " Haines sent out an uplifting message in the song composed by Belgian pianist Jean-Francois Maljean to encourage Chinese people to fight and eventually defeat the novel coronavirus plaguing the country.

Haines performed the song in an event called "Together We Fight against the Virus," jointly hosted by the City of London and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) on Friday night.

Haines told Xinhua that she had studied in China and has friends in Wuhan. She hoped to use her voice to convey support and blessings for people living there.

"Over the last few weeks, as the news comes in about what's happening in Wuhan and in China and indeed in all parts of the world, I have been heartbroken for the situation," said the singer.

"I thought for myself how ... I can use music at least to uplift people and to show my support to friends in Wuhan, so this is a perfect opportunity to do so," she added.

At the event, businessmen and politicians voiced their support for Wuhan and China in the combat against the novel coronavirus.

Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said in a speech that China and the UK will emerge from the test of the epidemic with stronger mutual trust, closer cooperation and deeper friendship. And China-UK "Golden Era" will yield more "golden fruits."

"No matter how severe the situation is, no matter how daunting the challenges are, China will stand united with the international community, including the UK, in the spirit of the community with a shared future for mankind. We will pull in the same direction and go all out to win this battle against the virus," he said.

"The epidemic will not shake the foundation of mutual trust and mutual benefit between China and Britain, but will only strengthen the confidence of the two sides to unite and cooperate," said Alderman William Russell, the Lord Mayor of the City of London.

Russell added that he looks forward to visiting China later this year to deepen cooperation further.

Richard Burn, Britain's HM Trade Commissioner for China, expressed appreciation for the Chinese government's measures in response to the epidemic, especially those taken by the Ministry of Commerce to assist foreign companies.

These assistance policies apply to domestic and foreign enterprises alike, providing "a strong guarantee for British companies to overcome difficulties," he said.

Lord James Sassoon, chairman of the China-Britain Business Council, said in his speech that he is fully confident in the UK-China economic and trade cooperation.

He emphasized that in 2019, British exports to China hit a record high, and China became Britain's third-largest export market.

"I hope Britain and China will continue to strengthen business cooperation, and the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries will rise to a new level after the epidemic."

Fang Wenjian, chairman of the CCCUK and general manager of Bank of China London Branch, said that Chinese companies in the UK responded quickly in the wake of the epidemic.

They not only took various measures to prevent and control the epidemic but also spared no effort to maintain normal business operations, Fang said.

"There are often rainy days and storms in Britain, but we know that sun-shines and rainbows will be seen after storms," said Fang.