David Cameron's encounter with Dalai Lama three months ago provoked strong protest in Beijing but now China is keen to get things back on track with Britain.
Under the last President Hu Jintao, the Chinese leadership emphasised its grandeur and growing power in the world. The new President Xi Jinping has taken a different approach however.
Knowing that China could face real problems in the next few years, Xi Jinping is working towards greater co-operation with the US, Europe and Britain.
When UK Prime Minister David Cameron met with the Dalai Lama in May this year, this strained Beijing's relationships with Britain.
Three months later, in the first high-level political interview the Chinese government has granted the BBC Beijing in over 20 years, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Ministry Hong Lei has signalled that China wants to put its relationship with Britain, and with the outside world, back on course.
When asked whether China's new leadership will contribute to warmer relations between the UK and China, the response was positive.
"China-UK relations already have a solid foundation for healthy development. We hope that both sides can push forward the bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect. It serves the interests of both sides. It is also the hope of the people of both countries," said Hong Lei.
"We think that China's current development requires us to remain open and deepen our relationship with the outside world. The Chinese dream and the world's dream are similar. We hope that China's development can achieve a win-win result with the world."
