伦敦市长率领代表团访问中国

The Lord Mayor of London, Jeffrey Mountevans, is leading a business delegation to China to strengthen Sino-UK commercial ties.

His visit follows Britain’s shock vote to quit the European Union and Sino-UK tensions over a planned nuclear power plant.

Although the role of Lord Mayor is largely symbolic, CCTV correspondent reports that the challenges ahead for Mountevans' delegation are very real.

There's been a Lord Mayor in London’s financial heart since the late 12th century. Dick Whittingdon the most famous among 688 individuals to have held the title. The man in the Mayor’s Mansion House today is Jeffrey Mountevans. Faced with the 21st century business trip to China.

And making it just as the UK is saying farewell to the European Union, the world’s richest trading block.

"I want to reassure about the post-Brexit vote. I want to open up the opportunities there are for investment here, with the opportunities for co-operation," said Jeffrey Mountevans.

"Britain is very much part of Europe and we will remain part of Europe. It's going to be different, the details have to be worked out, but we will I'm sure be very much involved in Europe. So, I think this is a move to be welcomed."

Analysts in the City of London are like the Lord Mayor optimistic most multinational firms will continue to be dual listed in London and New York and the British capital will retain its European financial crown Post Brexit.

An assessment complicated by the fact that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has yet to reveal what kind of new partnership Britain will have with the European Union.

Hinckley Point, a planned 25 billion dollar nuclear reactor in Britain’s West Country is another challenge facing the Lord Mayor’s business delegation to China.

The British premier has put the deal on hold, while China with a 30 per cent stake in the project, is eager to go ahead. As indeed is the Lord Mayor.

"I'm keen for an early decision. I think though that, you know we live in a Golden Era, I think it's bigger than any one project, if I could just say that," said Jeffrey Mountevans.

"There's an awful lot of projects underway and I think there's considerable focus on this one, but that shouldn't deflect us from the importance of all the other ones that are being developed at the same time."

With the G20 summit now out of the way, the Lord Mayor of London will have something to work on when he arrives in China for his trade mission.

However, he'll also be aware that the shine on the so-called Sino-UK 'Golden Era' will need a little bit of buffing up.