Dear Members, kindly find an updated summary of last week's UK-China trade mission.
"Last week the U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron led the biggest-ever British trade mission to China on a three-day visit.
CBI Director-General John Cridland and a large number of CBI members were part of the business delegation.
Key agreements and business deals announced by CBI members during the visit included:
- Jaguar Land Rover opens new Beijing Training Academy and signs £4.5 billion agreement for 100,000 car sales: CBI member Jaguar Land Rover opened its new Training Academy in Beijing, the second such facility to open in China. In addition, Jaguar Land Rover signed a new agreement to provide 100,000 cars to the National Sales Company in China over the next year. Read more here and here.
- Premier League and Chinese Super League sign agreement to build up football at an elite, youth, and community level in China: CBI member The Premier League announced a formal partnership with the Chinese Super League (CSL), under which the Premier League will provide assistance to the CSL and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on initiatives, programmes, and projects to promote and develop football in China. In return, the CSL will provide assistance to the Premier League and its clubs in promotion and marketing in China, as well as staging matches and other business initiatives in the country. In addition, the Premier League also announced that Premier Skills, which is run by the Premier League and the British Council, had celebrated the fifth anniversary of its work in China with a showcase event in Beijing and the announcement of a new partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Education that aims to reach more than one million young people with its community and school coach training programmes. Read more here and here.
- Rolls-Royce wins additional US$28 million contract to strengthen role in China’s energy infrastructure: CBI member Rolls-Royce announced a US$28 million contract to supply PetroChina with equipment and services to expand the flow of natural gas through the Lunnan-Tulufan branch of the second West to East Pipeline Project (WEPP II). The Lunnan-Tulufan pipeline branch transports 17 billion cubic metres of gas per year and connects Lines I and II of WEPP that links China's western Xinjiang region to Fujian province in the southeast. Read more here.
- BSI signs deal with Standardisation Administration of China: CBI member BSI signed an agreement with China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the Standardisation Administration of China (SAC) on the mutual recognition of voluntary standards for business and industry. This Memorandum of Understanding will enable British Standards to be more widely accepted in China. Under the agreement, the U.K. will be able to request that the Chinese adopt the British Standard for specific products and services. This will remove the need for a British company to demonstrate that it has met the equivalent Chinese standard—a breakthrough for U.K.-China trade—and will facilitate market access, saving time and money, and delivering real competitive advantage. BSI is now collating feedback from U.K. plc on which standards they would like BSI to promote to China for adoption. Please email your suggestions and reasons for this to: standards.international@bsigroup.com). Read more here.
- Shell and China’s Development Research Council sign agreement to carry out second two-year energy policy study: CBI member Shell and the Development Research Council, the key policy think tank under China's State Council, signed an agreement to carry out a second two-year energy policy study. Earlier this year, their first joint study made far-reaching recommendations for opening up and reforming China's huge energy sector. Phase 2 will focus on gas policy and energy security.
- University of Nottingham announces £60 million worth of new initiatives in China: CBI member The University of Nottingham announced £60 million worth of new initiatives with China during the PM’s visit. The initiatives included the creation of a new Guangdong-Nottingham Advanced Finance Institute, a new International Academy for Marine Economy and Technology, and a major expansion at the University’s Ningbo campus. Read more here.
- King’s College London forms partnership with Peking University Health Sciences Centre: King’s College London signed a partnership with Peking University Health Sciences Centre (PUHSC) as part of an initiative to expand collaborative activities in China and build links for medical research and education. The new partnership between King's and PUHSC will allow both institutions to develop their co-operation by facilitating staff and student exchanges, exploring the possibility of joint collaborative research projects and joint PhD supervision and exchanging relevant information and academic publications. The partnership will allow King's to expand its joint research and exchange activities in China in the areas of health, medicine, and life sciences, complimenting the university's existing strategic partnership with Renmin University, which covers humanities, social sciences, and law. Read more here.
- Cardiff University announces plans to establish Cancer Research Centre with Beijing’s Capital Medical University: CBI member Cardiff University announced plans to establish a £6.5 million Cancer Research Centre in collaboration with Beijing's Capital Medical University.
- Lancaster University’s Memorandum of Understanding with Guangdong Provincial Office of Science and Technology: CBI member Lancaster University announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guangdong Provincial Office of Science and Technology as part of a five-year partnership. Although not a legally-binding document, the MoU outlines aims by both parties to increase the level of partnerships between U.K. and Chinese technological companies through collaborative research projects leading to the development and commercialisation of new products and services for global markets. Read more here.
- MIRA awarded contracts by Geely to consult on design of their new vehicle project: CBI member MIRA was awarded contracts worth in excess of £2 million by Chinese automotive manufacturer Geely to consult on the design of their vehicle project. This is phase two of a partnership between MIRA and Geely.
- Benoy showcases its work across China and discusses new projects opening in Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu: CBI member Benoy showcased its work across China and discussed a number of new Benoy projects opening in Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu. These launches will further Benoy's recent good news in the wider China region, following a number of wins at MIPIM Asia and ReCon Asia for Hysan Place, Lan Kwai Fong Wuxi, K11 Art Mall, iAPM Mall, and Jing An Kerry Centre. Benoy’s Chairman, Graham Cartledge CBE, accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron to WE City in Chengdu, a mixed-use scheme. Benoy has been appointed Architect for the retail element of WE City as well as Façade Designer and Interior Designer for a number of the other components. Read more here.
New Chinese investments in the U.K. included:
- Geely reaffirms commitment to invest in London taxi project: Geely reaffimed its commitment to invest into the London taxi project to bring a new green TX5 taxi model into production over the next five years by increasing its investment figure from £150 million to £180 million. Geely confirmed that £80 million of this will go into the U.K., including £30 million for a new manufacturing facility and approximately £50 million for R&D on the next generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles. As a result of ongoing increased production, Geely hopes to increase its workforce at regional sites in the U.K.
- Chang’an Automobile announces plans to invest £60 million in West Midlands: Chang’an Automobile announced that it will invest £60 million and create 300 jobs at a new European R&D Centre in the West Midlands.
Other key announcements included:
- Prime Minister supports E.U. free trade deal with China: At a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the Prime Minister made clear he is ready to put his full political weight behind an agreement to liberalise trade between the E.U. and China—the world's largest trading bloc and China's biggest trading partner. Read more here.
- VisitBritain’s China Welcome campaign: Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport Maria Miller announced an initiative aimed at making Britain the most welcoming destination in Europe for Chinese visitors. VisitBritain's China Welcome campaign, launching in spring 2014, will showcase, promote, and develop how the U.K. travel industry caters to the needs of Chinese visitors. Read more here.
- New U.K.-China cultural agreement: Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport Maria Miller and Chinese Minister for Culture, Minister Cai Wu, signed a new cultural agreement for a five-year programme of cultural exchanges, which will give a boost to cultural and creative exchanges between the U.K. and China. Read more here.
- New £200 million joint research fund: China and the U.K. announced a new £200 million joint research fund, which will boost innovation.
- New digital alliance: UKTI signed an MoU with the China Industry-University Research Investment and Financing Union to bring together a digital media and entertainment alliance with key industry and financial institutions from the U.K. and China. The Alliance aims to facilitate trade, collaboration, and investment worth a potential £2 billion. Chinese companies in the Alliance include Future TV (Tencent/CNTV partnership), Shanghai Digital Industry Group, GDEA Ltd., Bank of China, and Beijing Zhongqing Venture Capital Management Inc. U.K. companies include BBC Worldwide, TalkTalk, Pinewood Studios, Tenshi, Eidos/Square-enix, Freeformers, and Founders Forum.
- U.K. eases visa rules: The U.K. announced same day visa services for business visitors to the U.K.
- UKTI initiates MoU with China’s Alibaba: UKTI initiated an MoU with China’s mega shopping platform Alibaba. The agreement will see Alibaba’s TMall allocate a dedicated team to support U.K. brands and help U.K. companies find agents and distributors in China, increasing their visibility in the Chinese market.
Click here to read further details on the outcomes of the U.K. delegation’s visit to China.
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