United Kingdom Day on 19 October 2024 will focus more on:
● British Foreign Minister's visit to China: The Sino-British Foreign Ministers' meeting mentioned the sinking of the Lisbon Pill: resuming cooperation mechanisms and effectively managing differences
● The Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom will announce an increase in inheritance tax in the Budget
● United Kingdom retail sales rose for the third month in a row, beating economists' expectations and the pound rose
● King Charles and his wife visit Australia, and the Sydney Opera House lights up for them
● House prices in the United Kingdom have risen by an average of £8,000 in a year
British Foreign Minister's Visit to China: The Sino-British Foreign Ministers' Meeting Referred to the "Sinking of the Lisbon Pill": Resuming cooperation mechanisms and effectively managing differences
United Kingdom Foreign and Development Secretary Lamy began a two-day official visit to China on October 18. On the same day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Lamy in Beijing.
Wang Yi said that as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world, China and the UK should become defenders of the international order with the UN at its core, partners in addressing global challenges, and companions in achieving national development. China is ready to work with the UK side to follow the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, adhere to mutual understanding and respect, adhere to openness and cooperation as the main keynote, deepen strategic communication, promote practical cooperation, and push China-UK relations into a new stage of stable development.
Wang Yi said that a recent documentary film called "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" tells the story of Chinese fishermen who bravely rescued British prisoners during World War II, allowing people to relive the common memory of China and Britain fighting side by side against fascism. China-UK relations have come from history and now stand at a new starting point. The Chinese side has positively appraised the United Kingdom's Labour Government's proposal to develop long-term, stable, and strategically significant relations with China, because this conforms to the historical logic and practical needs of the relations between the two countries, the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and the historical trend and the general international trend.
Wang Yi said that China agrees to fully resume the dialogue and cooperation mechanism between the two countries in various fields, and actively carry out mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, finance, green development, science and technology, health, education and people-to-people exchanges.
Lamy said that the United Kingdom government is committed to strengthening dialogue and cooperation with China in a coherent, respectful and long-term interest of both sides, and effectively managing differences.
Lamy's visit is the second visit by the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary in six years, Reuters reported that the United Kingdom Labour government, which took office in July, wants to show that it is serious about engaging with China, especially on economic and global affairs.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom will announce an increase in inheritance tax in the Budget
British media recently learned that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (Rachel Reeves) will announce a series of adjustments to the inheritance tax collection and exemption standards in the government budget on October 30.
Currently, the United Kingdom estate tax is a 40% tax on the deceased's assets exceeding £325,000. According to statistics, only 4% of estates in the United Kingdom are subject to inheritance tax. Opinion polls have consistently shown that the public perceives this as very unfair.
In the new plan, Reeves intends to change the relevant regulations for inheritance tax relief in addition to increasing the inheritance tax rate and lowering the threshold for paying inheritance tax. For example, the original "tax exemption for money given seven years or more before a person's death" may be amended; The exemption of inheritance tax on businesses and farmland and pastures may also be amended.
United Kingdom retail sales rose for the third month in a row, beating economists' expectations and the pound rose
United Kingdom latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that retail sales in United Kingdom rose 0.3% in September, rising for the third consecutive month. Previously, economists had expected retail sales to fall by 0.4%.
The statistic means that United Kingdom retail sales rose by 3.9% year-on-year, the largest since February 2022.
Specifically, under the influence of the launch of the iPhone 16, the sales performance of technology products is the most prominent. In contrast, supermarket sales fell by 2.4%.
The pound strengthened slightly against the dollar after the release of the data and has now risen to 1.31.
The pound briefly rose to its highest level since April 2022 to 1.2029 against the euro.
The pound rose to 9.27 against the Chinese yuan.
As of this time (October 19), the latest exchange rate of the British pound is as follows:
King Charles and his wife visit Australia and the Sydney Opera House lights them up
On the evening of October 18, local time, King Charles III and Queen Camilla of United Kingdom arrived in Sydney on a plane Australia the Royal Air Force to begin a six-day visit to Australia.
This is Charles' first visit to Australia since he took the throne in September 2022, and the first time that a United Kingdom monarch has set foot on the land since Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Australia in 2011.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor Sam Mostyn greeted the royal couple at the airport, and Sydney's landmark, the Sydney Opera House, was lit up with a light show showing photos of past visits by members of the United Kingdom royal family.
The King and Queen then travelled to the Governor's House for a private meeting with the Governor General and the Prime Minister of Australia.
British media learned that the official event of the Charles couple's visit will start on Sunday, so that the two have a day to recover from a long flight.
House prices in the United Kingdom have risen by an average of £8,000 in a year
Purplebricks' latest house price index report shows that in the year to August this year, United Kingdom house prices rose by an average of 2.8%, equivalent to an increase of about £8,000. Property prices in the United Kingdom have risen for nine consecutive months, with the current average house price at £293,000.
In the year to August, the North of Scotland saw the highest house price increase of 5.4%, with an average house price of £199,971; Over the same period, property values in the London area rose by 1.4%, with an average house price of £531,212.
Sam Mitchell, chief executive of Purplebricks, said: "The annual increase in house prices in all parts of the United Kingdom, including London's 21 boroughs, is a sign of growing confidence in the property market. ”