Chancellor George Osborne has called for Britain and China to "stick together" as "partners in growth", as he addressed financiers at the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Mr Osborne offered a message of solidarity with the far eastern giant in the wake of the summer's Asian financial meltdown, which saw prices in Shanghai slide by 8.5% in a single day.
He said he had specifically chosen the "epicentre" of the financial turmoil to deliver the keynote speech of his five-day tour of China in order to drive home his message that market volatility should not get in the way of Britain developing closer financial and commercial links with a country whose economy had grown 20-fold since his first visit as a backpacking student.
Mr Osborne said: "I believe our two countries are perfectly positioned to be partners in growth.
"Britain can be China's best partner in the West.
"Of course there will be ups and downs on the road ahead, but by sticking together we can make this a golden era for the UK-China relationship for many, many years to come."