London mayor hails free trade, subway system during visit

Mayor of London Boris Johnson spoke optimistically of the involvement of British companies in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone on Wednesday while posing on a bicycle on a 30th-floor balcony overlooking local landmark the Bund.

Johnson, an avid cyclist known for his signature bicycle-riding commute in 2009 to call for energy conservation, flew into China's financial hub earlier in the day for the second stop of a weeklong jaunt aimed at promoting Sino-British bilateral trade, investment and fold-up British bikes.

One day earlier, the conservative British politician with his trademark messy blond hair made headlines by riding the Beijing subway and comparing it favorably to the London Underground.

"The free trade zone sounds extremely interesting and exciting. We're looking at which are the excluded sectors ... and trying to work out exactly how far it's going to go," he said.

"But it's a very positive step, very good news, and we look forward to watching future developments, and we hope very much British companies will play their part. And maybe we could manufacture British bicycles in the free trade zone as well.

Johnson stepped onto Beijing Subway's Line 1 on Tuesday afternoon to learn about the metro experience in the capital, traveling from Xidan station to Gongzhufen station along Chang'an Street, not long before rush hour, according to Beijing News.

"Clean", "crowded" and "cheap", were words Johnson used to describe Beijing’s subway, after learning that a subway ticket cost only 2 yuan ($0.33) for the whole journey.

After getting off the subway at Gongzhufen station, he asked staffers about the details of the system's design and expressed an interest in learning more.

British media have portrayed his trip as one half of a charm offensive rounded out by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who is leading a ministerial delegation around China this week.

Earlier in the week, Osborne outlined plans for relaxed visa rules for Chinese businesspeople and high-spending tourists.

Britain is the second-biggest trading center for the Chinese currency after Singapore.

Questions:

1. What British official is visiting China this week?

2. What were some of his stops?

3. Who else is in China from Britain this week?

Answers:

1. Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

2. Beijing subway, Shanghai’s Pilot Free Trade Zone.

3. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is leading a ministerial delegation around China this week.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.