中国与英国的金融合作

President Xi Jinping's state visit to the U.K. will likely produce new developments in the two countries' financial cooperation. After years of trade and investment, finance has become a pillar for bilateral ties between the two countries.

Rising investment and trade between China and UK have strengthened their financial ties over the years.

Since 2012, the city of Londonhas developed strategies to boost yuan transactions and promote the Chinese currency's use in international trade and financing. London has now become a leader for offshore yuan trading worldwide.

"What we have done is to contribute with others to a number of significant achievements and the first will be London's clear position as the western hub for offshore RMB trading. That business is being built up rapidly," Mark Boleat, chairman of Policy & Resources Committee, City of London Corp., said.

British-Chinese ties gained fresh traction in March when the U.K. became the first Group of Seven member to join the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and paved the way for its peers to follow suit.

George Osborne, British chancellor of the exchequer, argued for a connection between stock markets on the sidelines of the 7th China UK economic and financial dialogue.

"I want to see our stock markets in London and in Shanghai formally connected with UK firms raising funds from Chinese savers and Chinese firms listing in London," UK Chancellor of The Exchequer George Osborne said.

Some are worried that corporate governance and transparency issues may pose challenges to the linking of the two markets, but others are certain enough that it is time to hold more assets denominated in yuan, and London has a key part to play.

On the one hand, it is a trading hub, on the other hand, a number of financial institutions need to hold yuan-denominated assets to manage their portfolio. London could play a crucial role in this process," Sun Yu, general manger of Bank of China London Branch, said.

And timing is ringing the bell for leaders, as they have hoped for a golden decade for bilateral ties. Since both are looking to deepen their economic relationship, financial cooperation may be a key part of that for years to come.