China Direct

Rolls Royce secures new nuclear power deal

CBI member, Rolls-Royce, has announced that it has been awarded a multi-million euros contract by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), to provide it’s cutting edge Bibloc pressure transmitters to Zhangzhou 1 & 2, two new ‘Hualong Type-One’ nuclear reactors under construction in China.

Rolls-Royce will supply more than 200 safety classified pressure transmitters (certified for Severe Accident, K1, K2, K3 SA) and the associated accessories, such as cables, connectors and electronics.

According to a press statement issued by the company, Rolls-Royce’s Bibloc safety nuclear pressure transmitters have been tested to last for 60 years of operation, and are applied so that engineers can reliably and easily monitor and change the pressure within the reactor’s core to minimise the risk of a severe nuclear accident.

The transmitters are designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce’s nuclear teams in Grenoble, France.

Stéphane Lessi, Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear France, Business Unit Director, said: “For more than 25 years, we have been collaborating with CNNC in China. We are delighted to have signed these new contracts, which is strong evidence of the confidence that CNNC continues to place in our technologies and in our people, for the future of their fleet.”

This latest deal means that Rolls-Royce manufactured transmitters are now installed on 36 nuclear reactors across China.

CBI Sterling Assets Report on China Roadshow

 

  

The inaugural Sterling Assets Report has been on a pan-China Roadshow since its launch on Thursday 02 November in Beijing.

The objective of the Roadshow was to circulate the Report's key findings to the diverse and dynamic UK business network in China and encourage policymakers and local officials to use the Report to promote greater UK-China business investment. 

Additionally the Report was received by business stakeholders the CBBC, British Chambers, Department of International Trade (DIT) and a visiting delegation of the All Party Parliamentary China Group in Guangzhou.

China Direct would like to sincerely thank HM Consuls Cecile Elbeleidi in Chongqing, HM Consul Karen Maddocks in Guangzhou, HM Consul John Edwards in Shanghai and HM Consul Nick Whittingham in Wuhan for their support.

 

    

Please note that China Direct will have the Chinese language version of the Report available for review and download by mid-November.

Kindly find the original Report and Executive Summary attached below for your reference.

Download CBI China Sterling Assets Report

Download Sterling Assets China Executive Summary

Thank you. 

  

AVEVA sponsors UKTI Nuclear Mission to China

CBI member AVEVA announced that AVEVA Greater China was the premium sponsor of the UKTI Nuclear Outward Mission to China and the largest participant in the British Exhibit at the biggest annual nuclear event in China, the 14^th China International Nuclear Exhibition, which took place on 06-09 April 2016 at the China National Convention Centre.

During the exhibition, AVEVA Greater China showcased a number of its products, including its latest leading-edge technologies: AVEVA Engage and AVEVA E3D as well as AVEVA Greater China’s complete Nuclear Digital Plant solutions.

At the focused workshops with the major Chinese nuclear giants, Paul Eveleigh, Executive Vice President and Head of Greater China at AVEVA, delivered a presentation promoting AVEVA’s capabilities and its leadership in the digital plant while also laying the groundwork for a combined British and China partnership in developing next-generation nuclear technology, services, and research for market development in China, the U.K., and many overseas countries.

CBI Summary of President Xi UK Visit Oct 2015

Dear CBI members and partners,

Please find below an executive summary of President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to the UK.

A detailed and comprehensive report can be downloaded at the bottom of this article.

Headlines:

From 20-23 October, President Xi Jinping made his state visit to the UK—the first by a Chinese president in a decade—where he was welcomed with a remarkable display of pomp, pageantry, and fanfare from the British government and Royal Family.

●Huge Chinese delegation accompanies President Xi: President Xi was accompanied by 150 Chinese business leaders, and almost 1,000 people are estimated to have travelled from China to the UK to participate in the state visit.

●Grand culmination of a very special year for UK-China relations:

Widely touted by both sides to usher in a ‘golden era’ for the bilateral relationship, the state visit marked the grand culmination of what has been a very special year for the UK-China relationship.

Key milestones in the build-up to the visit including the first ever UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange, the Duke of Cambridge’s historic outing to China in March, the UK becoming the first Western European country to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s visit to China as well as the UK-China People-to-People Dialogue last month.

●Three primary themes underpinning state visit:

The state visit was underpinned by three primary themes—signalling the openness of the UK economy to Chinese business, working together on pressing global issues, and looking to each other as ‘economies of the future’ with the growing complementarity of the UK and Chinese economies.

●Nearly £40 billion worth of agreements: 

Almost £40 billion worth of commercial deals were agreed upon, spanning a wide range of sectors, such as energy, retail, financial services, aerospace, healthcare, transport, education, the creative industries, and more.

Several examples of key announcements included:

1. BP’s multi-billion dollar LNG deal with Huadian

2. Manchester Airport’s plans to host the first direct scheduled flights to mainland China outside of London.

3. Rolls-Royce’s US$2.4 billion agreement to power HNA Group’s new aircraft.

4. EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corporation’s commitment to the construction and operation of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

5. Aston Martin and China Equity’s agreement to explore the development of a production version of Aston Martin’s fully electric RapidE concept.

●Widening the scope of bilateral relations:

The visit showcased the extent to which the UK is striving to build a very broad relationship with China—stretching beyond mere trade and investment—and lay the foundation for robust ties across the government, society, and business communities.

Download CBI China, President Xi Jinping's UK state visit, October 2015

EDF and CGN commit to Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station

 

CBI member EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) signed a Strategic Investment Agreement for the construction and operation of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.

Under the Strategic Investment Agreement, EDF’s share in Hinkley Point C will be 66.5% and CGN’s will be 33.5%. Without reducing this initial stake below 50%, EDF intends in due course to bring other investors into the project.

China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) will make its investment in the U.K. through its new company called General Nuclear International (GNI).

EDF and CGN have agreed the Heads of Terms of a wider U.K. partnership for the joint development of new nuclear power stations at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.

Terms will be in final form before the final investment decision for Hinkley Point C. The signing paves the way for the Hinkley Point C project to go ahead and sets the steps for a final investment decision subject to: 1) finalisation of long form documentation based on Heads of Terms, and 2) finalisation by EDF of its financing plan.

Please read more here.

A busy week for UK-China Relations - business deals and highlights Sept 2015

 

Dear CBI members and partners,

China Direct has summarized below the key UK-China announcements made during a busy and productive week for UK-Sino relations.

Chinese Ambassador to U.K. speaks at reception in honour of KPMG Chairman

Chinese Ambassador to the U.K. Liu Xiaoming spoke at a reception held in honour of KPMG Chairman Richard Reid. The Ambassador highlighted some of Mr. Reid’s impressive contributions to strengthening relations between China and the U.K., including:

• Mr.Reid established KPMG’s U.K.-China Business to work with Chinese groups as they expand overseas. KPMG has played an important role in facilitating investments between China and the U.K.
• In 2012, KPMG was involved in seven out of the eight major Chinese investments in the U.K., including CIC’s investment in Thames Water and Heathrow Airport.
• KPMG has been a leading advisor for China’s potential investment in the U.K.’s nuclear power generating market.
• KPMG assisted Jaguar Land Rover to enter the Chinese market and form a joint venture with Chery Auto.

 Please read the full transcript of the Ambassador’s speech here.

U.K. Chancellor announces £3 million funding for grassroots football programme

U.K. Chancellor George Osborne announced a £3 million funding boost for a revolutionary grassroots football programme in China, supporting thousands of young people.

Speaking during a visit to the Soong Ching Ling Football School in Urumqi, the Chancellor announced new funding to provide training for over 5,000 new football coaches, significantly increasing Chinese awareness of the thriving football sector in the U.K.

The extension of the highly successful Premier Skills football coaching programme, run by the British Council and the Premier League, will also see it reach Xinjiang for the very first time. The initiative, which started in 2008, focuses on creating new coaches and referees across the world and inspiring young people to get involved in football.

So far the programme has trained 1,100 coaches and reached nearly 500,000 young people in China. The announcement follows a new agreement between the British and Chinese governments to work together in developing sports education, including new collaborations on sports policy, the training of coaches and referees, and a new joint accreditation in football coaches for PE teachers.

The Chancellor said, “Grassroots football plays an instrumental role in U.K. life, and it is brilliant to be able to spread that to China. This fantastic scheme which will bring new opportunities to young people across China will also help bring increased awareness and investment into the U.K. football sector.” Please read more here.

U.K. Chancellor announces support measures to showcase British culture

U.K. Chancellor announced a raft of support measures to open up some of the country’s best arts and culture to Chinese audiences. Examples include: 

• British Library to display some of its most iconic literary treasures in China for first time ever: Ten handwritten manuscripts and early editions by some of the best-known British authors of all time, from William Shakespeare to the Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, will star in pop-up exhibitions across China between 2016 and 2019. The British Library will also begin creating related online resources in Mandarin. This follows the opening of a new display at the British Library in London showcasing 3,000 years of Chinese writing, from ancient engraved animal bones to a vast 15^th century encyclopaedia.

 

• Shakespeare’s Globe to tour China with revival of The Merchant of Venice: To commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death next year, Shakespeare’s Globe will tour China with a revival of The Merchant of Venice, which premiered at the Globe in April this year to full houses for over 6 weeks. £500,000 of government funding will also develop a training programme for Chinese arts organisations to develop their learning and community projects. This complements the £1.5 million investment announced at the 2014 UK-China Economic Financial Dialogue in support of the Royal Shakespeare Company for the translation of Shakespeare into Mandarin and the translation of seminal Chinese plays into English.

 

• £500,000 to support Royal Opera House training programme for Chinese students: The Royal Opera House currently provides training to Chinese delegations on an ad hoc basis, so this Sino-U.K. funding will offer Chinese students the opportunity to travel to London for intensive training courses with world-leading arts institutions.

 

• New Love China Festival at Southbank Centre: This will celebrate the U.K.’s cultural links with China through workshops, exhibitions and performances showcasing the best of music, theatre, fashion, design, dance, comedy, and literature from the U.K. and China. It builds on the success of the Southbank Centre’s annual Alchemy Festival celebrating the U.K.’s links with the Indian subcontinent.

 

• £250,000 for National Theatre of Great Britain, working in collaboration with National Theatre of China to develop tour of War Horse across China: The tour will follow its recent performances in Beijing and Shanghai. The show will be produced, operated, and performed by 90 Chinese artists and technicians who have been trained as part of the strategic skills exchange between the two national theatres.

 

• £1.3 million to support presentation in China of Tate’s exhibition of British art, Landscapes of the Mind: British Landscape Painting (1700 – 2007): The exhibition comprises over one hundred celebrated works drawn from Tate’s unrivalled collection of British art, including David Hockney’s ‘Bigger Trees near Water’. Most of these will be presented in China for the first time. This exhibition, which has travelled to Mexico City and São Paulo, will forge a new museum partnership for Tate in China and follows the successful presentation of a landmark Turner exhibition at the National Art Museum of China, in Beijing in 2009.

 

• Victoria & Albert Museum to create new system for interpreting Chinese images: £300,000 of funding will support the initial stages of creating a bilingual English-Mandarin database of pre-1900 Chinese cultural and literary sources.

 

• £700,000 to showcase tourism in North of England as part of Northern Powerhouse: The Chancellor’s visit to China was a key opportunity to highlight the economic and cultural impetus of the U.K.’s Northern Powerhouse, and the campaign will encourage Chinese visitors to explore the Yorkshire moors, Beatrix Potter, and Wordsworth countryside in the Lake District, and historical sites such as Hadrian’s Wall.

• £1.3 million for VisitBritain ‘culture is GREAT’ campaign in China: This will highlight Britain’s cultural capital. Sally Balcombe, VisitBritain’s CEO, also joined the Chancellor during his tour of China.

 

• New Eden Project in Qingdao: The Eden Project has signed a deal, worth up to £5 million, for a new Eden Project in Qingdao—the company’s first development outside of the U.K.

Please read more here.

U.K. Chancellor opens £11.8 billion HS2 bidding process

U.K. Chancellor George Osborne announced a major new milestone for the government’s High Speed 2 rail project (HS2), kick-starting the bidding process for phase one of the mega construction project.

At least seven new contracts will be opened up to companies, with a total combined value of £11.8 billion. The Chancellor made the announcement at an event in Chengdu, aimed at wooing some of China’s biggest investors to be part of the project as well as a raft of other major U.K. infrastructure projects.

Mr. Osborne also announced a new ‘HS2 partnering day’ between British and Chinese firms to explore joining up on bids for contracts, as well as launching the Northern Powerhouse pitchbook. HS2 forms a major part of the government’s plan to rebalance the U.K. economy and build a Northern Powerhouse by providing high speed rail services from London to the Midlands and the North.

Construction of phase 1 is due to start in 2017 and, when opened, will slash the travel time between London and Birmingham from one hour and 21 minutes to 49 minutes. The government is organising an ‘HS2 partnering day’ to give Chinese companies an opportunity to meet U.K. firms and establish potential partnerships to join up on bids.

The Chancellor is also inviting Chinese participation in the HS2 skills college, which is due to open in 2017. A skills-swap programme would allow the U.K. to benefit from China’s expertise as a world leader on High Speed Rail and help Chinese investors better understand the U.K. market. The Chancellor is also encouraging Chinese companies to take part in an HS2 ‘regeneration tour’, which would involve visiting areas of huge commercial opportunity in London, the Midlands, and the North. Investors would have the chance to meet with relevant local authorities and visit station sites. Please read more here.

U.K. Chancellor showcases Northern Powerhouse investment opportunities

U.K. Chancellor George Osborne showcased a selection of £24 billion worth of investment opportunities in the North of England at an event in Chengdu with senior Chinese investors.

The Chancellor said there are unprecedented opportunities for Chinese investment into the Northern Powerhouse as the U.K. and China enter a golden era of economic cooperation.

Infrastructure and regeneration investment projects such as the Atlantic Gateway, a series of projects connecting the Port of Liverpool to the City of Manchester, and Science Central, a cutting-edge development in the heart of Newcastle, are set out in a new Northern Pitchbook that was presented in Chengdu.

At the same time, Britain’s Northern leaders said a new wave of transformational Chinese investment can revolutionise Northern infrastructure. Key projects for which investment is sought include:

• Manchester Place—an opportunity to deliver three new zones of more than 10,000 homes with a combined value of over £3 billion
• Sheffield Retail Quarter—working with Sheffield City Council to create new city centre homes and centrally located offices
• South Bank, Leeds—a new regeneration scheme covering more than 130 hectares in the city centre

 Alongside the Pitchbook, the Chancellor also announced:

• potentially doubling Enterprise Zones across the North
• commissioning a new government report looking at existing links between U.K. and Chinese cities to help the U.K. better understand how it can attract more trade with China
• a commitment to reinvigorate partnerships between Northern and Chinese cities, including Sheffield’s Sister City agreement with Chengdu, which has fostered significant business, civic, and cultural links since 2010
• the secondment of staff from the China Rail Construction Corporation, the world’s largest railway company, to Mott MacDonald, the U.K.-based management, engineering, and development consultancy, in Manchester
• the findings of a city-clusters research project based on the Chongqing-Chengdu cluster and the Northern Powerhouse
• a new service, established by Lancaster University, to bring together U.K. and Chinese universities, researchers and businesses to take research to commercialisation
• a new joint PhD programme to teach the next generation of Chinese Radio Astronomers at the Square Kilometre Array headquarters at Jodrell Bank
• a new offer on the Chevening Scholarship Programme to those in the Northern Powerhouse who wish to strengthen ties with Chinese students. Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, and York universities (the ‘N8’) have all expressed an interest so far

Please read more here.

UKTI and Shanghai FTZ partner to help U.K. companies with e-commerce sales 

U.K. Business Secretary Sajid Javid signed a partnership agreement on behalf of U.K. Trade and Investment (UKTI) with the Shanghai Cross-Border e-Commerce Public Platform.

The signing took place at the first ever China-U.K. Cross-Border e-Commerce Cooperation Roundtable organised by the Bank of China in Shanghai. The partnership was organised as part of UKTI’s e-Exporting Programme.

The agreement will support U.K. exporters and help promote their online sales in China by helping them to find new customers, build brand awareness, and analyse Chinese consumer requirements. The Shanghai Cross-border e-commerce Public Platform will work with UKTI to:

• provide help to U.K. companies wishing to sign up to e-commerce platforms registered in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ)
• encourage e-commerce platforms registered in the Shanghai FTZ to run a marketing campaign promoting U.K. brands on their platforms
• share information to help U.K. companies understand the opportunities in China and how they can be optimised through e-channels in the Shanghai FTZ

UKTI will work to grow the volume of U.K. online exports to China through the Shanghai FTZ e-marketplace by:

• delivering a programme with U.K. partners to increase the number of companies seeking to export through global e-marketplaces
• promoting opportunities for U.K. companies to grow their business in China through e-marketplaces
• working with partners and private sector experts to provide peer-to-peer mentoring for U.K. companies seeking to export through e-channels
• delivering a retail and brands campaign across relevant e-commerce platforms in the Shanghai FTZ

Please read more here.

Chancellor announces major progress in UK-China civil nuclear partnership

At the 7th U.K.-China Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), U.K. Chancellor George Osborne and Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai announced major progress in enhancing the U.K.-China civil nuclear partnership. The new announcements represented a major milestone in the partnership between the U.K. and China’s burgeoning civil nuclear industries, worth tens of billions of pounds. In addition to a landmark announcement on a new government guarantee of up to £2 billion for Hinkley Point, the Chancellor established further ties between the U.K.’s Northern Powerhouse and China’s growing nuclear industry by announcing that the two countries will work together to co-fund a £50 million cutting-edge nuclear research centre, to be headquartered in the U.K. The Chancellor also announced a regional collaboration agreement between Cumbria and Sichuan province, deepening commercial ties between the province and the North West’s world-leading expertise in nuclear decommissioning and waste management. Together, these announcements will pave the way for deepening collaboration in nuclear sectors in the U.K. and China, including for U.K. companies accessing China’s rapidly growing nuclear market.

CBI Member Successes in China - Snapshot of Year of the The Horse

 

Dear CBI members and strategic partners,

China Direct would like to share with you a snapshot of CBI members' successes in China through 2014. We hope that you found our new format easy to use, visual and informative and wish you all every success for the forthcoming year of the sheep.

Please do keep sending us your updates and press releases so that your business can also be highlighted in 2015.

Thank you.

Download CBI Beijing, Member Milestones in China, 2014

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Inward Investment Report 2013/14

 

U.K.Trade & Investment (UKTI) recently released its Inward Investment Report 2013/14.

Highlights include:

• During the 2013/14 financial year, the U.K. attracted the most inward investment projects since records began in the 1980s.

• In total, 1,773 investment projects were set up by foreign businesses, up 14% on last year.

• These projects are estimated to bring with them over 111,000 new ans safeguarded jobs.

• The leading industry group for both projects and jobs was advanced manufacturing.

Please click here to access UKTI's full report.

Rolls-Royce signs MOU with Chinese nuclear reactor vendor CGN

 

CBI member Rolls-Royce recently signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chinese nuclear reactor vendor CGN.

The agreement will see Rolls-Royce cooperate more closely with CGN in the field of civil nuclear power in China, the U.K., and other overseas markets.

The MOU will explore possible collaboration in areas such as engineering support, provision of components and systems, emergency diesel generators, supply chain management, and instrumentation and control technology.

Rolls-Royce has significant nuclear expertise, including providing advice to governments and operators, supply chain management and manufacturing and technical engineering support. Today, Rolls-Royce supplies safety-critical instrumentation and control technology to more than 70% of nuclear reactors in operation or under construction in China and Emergency Diesel Generators to almost 40%.

Please click here to read the full press release by Rolls-Royce.