On 24 and 28 January Minister Counselor Zhang Lirong and Spokesman Liu Weimin held briefings for Chinese and foreign media respectively to introduce the upcoming official visit of Premier Wen Jiabao. UK Chinese media including Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, Chinese News Agency, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, CRI, Phoenix TV and overseas media including BBC, Sky News, Reuter, Financial Times, Times, Guardian, Ta Kung Pao, UK Chinese Times, Sing Tao Daily and AFP attended the briefings.

       Minister Counselor Zhang Lirong and Counselor Liu Weimin introduced China-UK relations and background and purpose of Premier Wen's visit. They said that China-UK relations had entered into a phase of comprehensive development with frequent exchange of high-level visits, fruitful and practical cooperation in all fields and close contact and coordination on international and regional issues. On 22 January the FCO issued its first China strategy, which fully showed the importance the British side attached to developing its relations with China. China-UK relations were faced with major opportunity for further development. As the shock wave of the financial crisis expanded, the confidence visit by Premier Wen was aimed at further strengthening financial cooperation between China and UK, working together to address the challenge of the financial crisis, and enhancing confidence of the international community. The two sides would also have an exchange of bilateral relations and a wide range of major international and regional issues.

Zhang and Liu introduced Premier Wen's agenda. It was packed but very substantive. Premier Wen would have talks with PM Brown, meet widely with the British Government, business, financial, academic, and media people. He would deliver a speech at Cambridge. PM Brown would be with the Premier on many occasions. Premier Wen would also attend the Chinese New Year celebration held by Duke of York at Buckingham. As it was the Spring Festival he would spend the holiday with overseas Chinese, Chinese students, employees of the Chinese enterprises and staff of the Chinese embassy.

Zhang hoped that the Chinese media would cover the visit so that people both inside and outside China would be able to know the Premier's visit well. Chinese correspondents all said that they would work with the delegation and the embassy to cover the visit in full.

Liu answered questions concerning China's relations with UK and France, world financial crisis, reform of the world financial system, trade protectionism and RMB exchange rate. The foreign media were very interested in Premier Wen's visit.