Boris Johnson told the Chinese president in a telephone call on Tuesday that he "loves China" and wants to work with Beijing to lift bilateral relations to a new level.

The prime minister and Xi Jinping also spoke about fighting "shoulder to shoulder" against the deadly coronavirus, known as COVID-19.

China's ambassador to the UK gave Sky News exclusive details on the rare phone conversation between a British prime minister and China's president - the first such call by Mr Johnson with President Xi.

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"They had a very good conversation," Ambassador Liu said in an interview at the Chinese embassy in London.

He said the two men discussed China's battle against COVID-19, and Mr Johnson "expressed a high appreciation of the efforts made by China".


Mr Liu added: "They also talked about how China and the UK can collaborate to fight shoulder to shoulder against this virus."

On the UK-China relationship, the leaders "talked about the relationship, how the two countries will strengthen this relationship for the next 10 years.

"The prime minister also mentioned about the golden era and they reached broad consensus," he said.

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Ambassador Liu said Mr Johnson told the Chinese president "he loves China and he wants to work with China, his administration, to elevate the relationship to a new level".

"President Xi also expressed our commitment to the relationship," he added.

The pair also discussed a global conference on climate change that the UK will host later this year.

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The prime minister told the Chinese president that he believes "there are a lot of opportunities for China and the UK to work on the global agenda to address to address the global challenges like climate change".

Ambassador Liu said: "It is a very good conversation. It not only set the tone but also set the new direction for China-UK relations at a critical moment between China and the UK."

Image: Xi Jingping has had a tense relationship with Donald Trump

Downing Street also issued a statement about the telephone call.

A spokesperson said Mr Johnson "offered his sympathies for those affected by the outbreak of coronavirus in China".

"President Xi thanked the UK for its support and in particular welcomed the donation of vital medical equipment to China," they added.