David Cameron has declared his ambition to double bilateral trade between the UK and China to 100 billion US dollars a year by 2015, as he arrived at the head of Britain's largest ever Government and business delegation to the Far Eastern country.
Mr Cameron said he expected deals worth billions of pounds to the UK economy to be sealed during his two-day visit, which will feature intensive trade talks.
While he accepted that the balance of trade will remain firmly in China's favour in the coming years, he set a target of achieving 30 billion US dollars worth of UK exports within the next five years - up from around 7 billion now
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, he said that the trip will provide "a further step forward in UK-China relations, adding momentum to our commercial relationship and cementing an economic and political partnership that can help to deliver strong and sustainable growth and greater security for us all in the years ahead".
Trade is very much the focus of Mr Cameron's first visit to Beijing as Prime Minister, which comes ahead of this week's gathering of leaders of the G20 group of economic powers in South Korean capital Seoul.
But the PM has said that he will also raise issues including international trade liberalisation, financial market co-operation, climate change, energy, aid, global security, Iranian nuclear programmes, North Korea, the disputed elections in Burma and human rights.
Artist Ai Weiwei - who created the current sunflower seed installation in London's Tate Modern as well as Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic stadium - has urged him to press President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on human rights when he meets them for face-to-face talks.
Aides say that Mr Cameron will raise the issue, but have yet to confirm whether he will discuss specific cases like that of Mr Ai, placed under house arrest amid a row over the demolition of his Shanghai studio, or jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobao.
In his article, Mr Cameron said he is ready to address issues on which Beijing takes "a different view" from the UK, including human rights, but would do so "with respect and mutual understanding, acknowledging our different histories".
Mr Cameron said that the visit should deliver more than 40 specific agreements dealing with trade, low-carbon growth and cultural and education initiatives.
David Cameron has declared his ambition to double bilateral trade between the UK and China to 100 billion US dollars a year by 2015, as he arrived at the head of Britain's largest ever Government and business delegation to the Far Eastern country.
Mr Cameron said he expected deals worth billions of pounds to the UK economy to be sealed during his two-day visit, which will feature intensive trade talks.
While he accepted that the balance of trade will remain firmly in China's favour in the coming years, he set a target of achieving 30 billion US dollars worth of UK exports within the next five years - up from around 7 billion now
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, he said that the trip will provide "a further step forward in UK-China relations, adding momentum to our commercial relationship and cementing an economic and political partnership that can help to deliver strong and sustainable growth and greater security for us all in the years ahead".
Trade is very much the focus of Mr Cameron's first visit to Beijing as Prime Minister, which comes ahead of this week's gathering of leaders of the G20 group of economic powers in South Korean capital Seoul.
But the PM has said that he will also raise issues including international trade liberalisation, financial market co-operation, climate change, energy, aid, global security, Iranian nuclear programmes, North Korea, the disputed elections in Burma and human rights.
Artist Ai Weiwei - who created the current sunflower seed installation in London's Tate Modern as well as Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic stadium - has urged him to press President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on human rights when he meets them for face-to-face talks.
Aides say that Mr Cameron will raise the issue, but have yet to confirm whether he will discuss specific cases like that of Mr Ai, placed under house arrest amid a row over the demolition of his Shanghai studio, or jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobao.
In his article, Mr Cameron said he is ready to address issues on which Beijing takes "a different view" from the UK, including human rights, but would do so "with respect and mutual understanding, acknowledging our different histories".
Mr Cameron said that the visit should deliver more than 40 specific agreements dealing with trade, low-carbon growth and cultural and education initiatives.