China Direct

GREAT Trade & Investment News Dec 22: British Consulate General Hong Kong & Macao

I’m sure most of you are celebrating a much happier end to the year than its beginning was. It has been a tough and challenging year but as we celebrate Hong Kong opening up even more, a very Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice and any other festival that you are commemorating.

As the team here at DIT Hong Kong look forward and begin planning for 2023/2024, we will see the return of VIP visitors and trade missions from the UK, events and activities in Hong Kong with evermore international attendees and also businesses travelling to the UK to sign high-value investment deals. Do get in touch with us if you have any great ideas for the team to be involved in, our contact details are at the end of the newsletter. Also do follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for the latest updates.

It is though bittersweet for yours truly. We will shortly welcome the arrival of our new, permanent Director-General, Chris Woodward, whilst I return to my previous role as Director. I have thoroughly enjoyed the ‘stepping-up’ experience but look forward to Chris taking the reins and leading the team into a very positive future.

 

Corin Wilson
Acting Director-General, Trade & Investment, Hong Kong & Macao

 

 

To view the December newsletter please click here

Our thanks to Corin and the team at the British Consulate in Hong Kong & Macao for kindly sharing the latest UK-China trade and investment news.

Stop Press: Hainan Airlines resumes direct flights from Manchester to China 22 August onwards

Dear CBI Members and Partners,

The UK and Chinese governments have agreed that flights between Manchester and China can now resume after a two-and-a-half-year suspension, as Hainan Airlines has announced it will resume its Beijing-Manchester service from today (Monday 22 August).

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of CBI member Manchester Airport, said: “Prior to 2020, the Hainan service provided vital connectivity to one of the world’s most important economies and I am sure this news will be welcomed by the hundreds of thousands of people across the North who travel to and from China each year."

Charlotte Turner MAG (Airports Group) Seb Thompson Patricia Yates VisitBritain VisitEngland #airlines #china #hainan #manchester #trbusiness #travelretail #dutyfree #taxfree #businessnews #retailnews #returntotravel #tourism #aviation

 

Direct flights from China to the UK resume August 2022

 

Direct flights between the UK and China resume August 2022

8 August 2022

 

Following negotiations between the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), direct flights between the UK and China are set to resume in August 2022

The flights are to be operated by Chinese airlines with various routes being considered in addition to Shanghai Pudong-Heathrow and Beijing-Heathrow.

Flights to Heathrow from Beijing will start on 11 August, and flights to Heathrow from Shanghai will start on 13 August.

The flights will operate in accordance with China’s circuit-breaker system with additional flights being added to routes which operate below a permitted number of cases on board.

Please click here for details on Air China’s flights, or visit www.airchina.com to book.

Further routes to be announced soon.

For further enquiries, please email [email protected].

Our thanks to the CBBC for sharing this information,

Date for Diaries: 13 Dec Asia House Global Trade Dialogue 2021

 

Asia House Global Trade Dialogue 2021: Rebooting Trade for a Post-COVID World

The Asia House Global Trade Dialogue returns in December with a forward-looking discussion on the transition towards a post-COVID global recovery.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present public health and economic challenges around the world, countries are starting to plot their recoveries from the crisis, with global trade set to be a key driver of economic growth.

UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, will share her thoughts on the future of trade as economies seek to build back from the pandemic. The Secretary of State will also outline the UK’s trade strategy in Asia and beyond.

Japan’s former Foreign Minister Kono Taro, WTO Deputy Director General Angela Ellard, and  Xinquan Tu, Dean and Professor of the China Institute for WTO Studies of University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, will share their thoughts on current geopolitical and trade tensions, while Scott Beaumont, President, Google Asia Pacific, and Amanda Murphy, Head of Commercial Banking, South & Southeast Asia, HSBC, will explore the role of digital technologies in the global economic recovery.

The Asia House Global Trade Dialogue 2021
Monday 13 December 09:00-10:15

REGISTER NOW

The Asia House Global Trade Dialogue 2021 is sponsored by Arup.

For more information, please contact Edward Danks at [email protected]

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SPEAKERS 

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK Secretary of State for International Trade

Anne-Marie Trevelyan was appointed Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade on 15 September 2021. She was appointed as the UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency on 7 November 2020.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan was previously Minister of State (Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change) at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from January 2021 to September 2021.

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Kono Taro, Former Foreign Minister, Japan

Having previously held government positions including Foreign Minister and Minister of Defence under former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kono Taro is known as one of Japan’s most outspoken politicians and clearest foreign policy thinkers. His most recent ministerial position was Minister for Administrative Reform, where he oversaw Japan’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout and spearheaded initiatives to digitise government. He was appointed Chairperson, Public Relations Headquarters, the Liberal Democratic Party, in October 2021.

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Angela Ellard, Deputy Director General to the World Trade Organization

Angela Ellard has served as WTO Deputy Director-General since June 2021. Prior to her appointment, Ms Ellard had a distinguished career serving in the US Congress as Majority and Minority Chief Trade Counsel for over 26 years. She is internationally recognized as an expert on trade and international economic policy, resolving trade and investment barriers, negotiating trade agreements, and supporting multilateral solutions as part of an effective trade and development policy. Ms Ellard has negotiated and delivered significant bipartisan trade policy outcomes and legislation with Members of U.S. Congress and senior Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush, and Clinton Administration officials. Ms Ellard was also a lawyer in the private sector, specializing in trade litigation and strategy, trade policy, and legislative issues.

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Scott Beaumont, President, Google Asia Pacific

Scott Beaumont has worked at Google for 11 years, previously serving as Google President for Greater China and Korea. Before joining Google, Beaumont ran his own tech start up, Refresh Mobile, having previously worked for T-Mobile as Executive Vice President for Business Development. He is a member of the  Asia House Advisory Board.

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Amanda Murphy, Head of Commercial Banking, South & Southeast Asia, HSBC

Amanda Murphy was appointed Head of Commercial Banking, South & Southeast Asia, with effect from December 2021, and is a member of the Global Commercial Banking Executive Committee. Based in Singapore, Amanda has oversight of our businesses in Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Amanda initially joined HSBC in 1994 and became an International Manager in 1998. Her career has spanned numerous frontline, risk and leadership roles across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia-Pacific. Most recently, Amanda led the Commercial Bank in the UK from April 2017 and was responsible for HSBC’s relationships with over 900,000 small, medium and large business customers and a team of approximately 4,700 people.

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Xinquan Tu, Dean and Professor of the China Institute for WTO Studies of University of International Business and Economics, Beijing

Xinquan Tu is an academic and commentator whose research and teaching focuses on Chinese trade policy, the WTO, government procurement, US trade policy, and US-China trade relations. He received his PhD in international trade from the University of International Business and Economics in 2004. He authored ‘China’s position, role and strategy in the WTO‘ (published by The Press of UIBE) in 2005, and has published a number of papers and chapters in books.

UK applies to join huge Pacific free trade area CPTPP

UNDER STRICT EMBARGO FOR 2230 SATURDAY 30 JANUARY 

UK applies to join huge Pacific free trade area CPTPP 

The government is formally applying to join one of the world’s largest free-trade areas, to position the UK at the heart of emerging economies in the Pacific and support jobs across the UK. 

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss will speak to ministers in Japan and New Zealand on Monday morning (1 February 2021) to request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), with formal negotiations set to start this year.

The announcement comes as the UK today celebrates one year since leaving the EU and becoming an independent trading nation.  

Joining the CPTPP would deepen the UK’s access to fast-growing markets and major economies, including Mexico, Malaysia and Vietnam, for the benefit of UK business.   

Joining the £9 trillion partnership will cut tariffs for UK industries including food and drink, and cars, while also creating new opportunities for modern industries like tech and services, ultimately supporting and creating high-value jobs across the UK. Unlike EU membership, joining does not require the UK to cede control over our laws, borders, or money. 

UK trade with the group was worth £111 billion last year, growing by 8% a year since 2016. Benefits that CPTPP membership will bring for businesses include:  

• Modern digital trade rules that allow data to flow freely between members, remove unnecessary barriers for businesses, and protect commercial source code and encryption. 
• Eliminating tariffs quicker on UK exports including whisky (down from 165% to 0% in Malaysia) and cars (reducing to 0% in Canada by 2022, two years earlier than through the UK-Canada trade deal). 
• Rules of Origin that allow content from any country within CPTPP to count as ‘originating’. For example, this would mean that cars made in the UK could use more Japanese-originating car parts, such as batteries.
• Easier travel for businesspeople between CPTPP countries, such as the potential for faster and cheaper visas.  

 

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said 

“One year after our departure for the EU we are forging new partnerships that will  bring enormous economic benefits for the people of Britain. 

“Applying to be the first new country to join the CPTPP demonstrates our ambition to do  business on the best terms with our friends and partners all over the world and be an  enthusiastic champion of global free trade.” 

 

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said 

“Joining CPTPP will create enormous opportunities for UK businesses that simply  weren’t there as part of the EU and deepen our ties with some of the fastest-growing  markets in the world.   

“It will mean lower tariffs for car manufacturers and whisky producers, and better  access for our brilliant services providers, delivering quality jobs and greater prosperity  for  people here at home. 

“We’re at the front of the queue and look forward to starting formal negotiations in the coming months.”  

The UK will publish its negotiation objectives, scoping analysis, and consultation response in advance of negotiations expected to start this Spring. 

CPTPP membership is a key part of the Government’s plan to position the UK at the centre of a network of modern free trade deals that support jobs and drive economic growth at home. 

 

Julian David, CEO of techUK, said: 

“Today marks an important step in UK’s path to developing a modern trade policy that creates new opportunities for the UK tech sector. Building on our recent agreements with Japan and the European Union, the accession to the CPTPP will allow us to join a group of ambitious countries breaking the newest ground in digital trade.  

“The UK has been a major beneficiary of the rise of digital trade with over 67% of service exports worth £190.3 billion being digitally delivered. CPTPP will open up new markets for innovative tech SMEs looking to grow and expand beyond our borders. We are looking forward to working with the government throughout the process.” 

 

Mike Cherry, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Chair, said: 

"Membership of the CPTPP would be a hugely welcome development to all small businesses looking to either expand or begin their trading journeys. 

"Crucially, at the very heart of this agreement is an SME chapter, something that we have lobbied for the inclusion of in every FTA, ensuring that no business is left behind. 

"This is truly a world-leading agreement and one that will genuinely help small firms to thrive and succeed more than ever." 

 

CBI President, Lord Karan Bilimoria, said:  

“This ambition marks a new chapter for our independent trade policy. As one of the largest free trade agreements in the world, these 11 countries contribute over £100 billion to our economy.  

“Membership of the bloc has the potential to deliver new opportunities for UK business across different sectors. The CBI will continue to work with the Government to ensure that firms get the most out of an agreement that will create jobs and deliver wide-ranging benefits to communities across the country." 

Notes to Editors 

• CPTPP facts
• CPTPP includes 11 Pacific nations (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam), which are worth £9tn of GDP
• CPTPP removes tariffs on 95% of goods traded between members 
• Membership will complement the bilateral FTAs the UK has already concluded or is negotiating with nine of the CPTPP members. 
• The UK automotive sector will benefit from lower of trade barriers on the £3billion worth of cars exported from the UK to the 11 CPTPP countries annually. The industry employs 164,000 people in the UK and businesses could find opportunities for growth if we accede¹.
• CPTPP sets higher digital standards and removes barriers to digital trade.Last year, digitally delivered services from the UK to CPTPP members hit £18.7 billion and joining now creates an opportunity to unleash forward leaning parts of our economy. 
• Our accession also aims to boost UK regions and nations. Scotland exported £2.4 billion-worth of goods to CPTPP member countries in 2019, and a further £5.1 billion was exported from the North West and East Midlands².
• International Trade Secretary Liz Truss will speak on Monday 1 February with Japan’s Minister for CPTPP, Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is the Chair of the 2021 CPTPP commission and with Damien O’Connor, Minister for Trade and Economic Growth in New Zealand, which stores official documentation for all CPTPP members. An official letter will be submitted to the New Zealand government and distributed to all CPTPP members. 
• Data sources: ONS UK trade: all countries, non-seasonally adjusted, Q2 2020 ; IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2020 ; ONS, Modes of Supply, 2019 ; BEIS Business Population Estimates, 2020 ; HMRC Regional trade in goods, Q3 2020. 
• The Government has been clear that the NHS and the price it pays for drugs is not for sale in any trade negotiations – including CPTPP – and that it will not sign trade deals that compromise the UK’s high environmental protections, animal welfare and food standards.
• Joining CPTPP is a critical part of the government’s wider trade strategy, which aims to deepen links with faster-growing parts of the world beyond Europe, partnering with countries who believe in free and fair trade.

UK Intellectual Property Office China Briefing August 2020

 

The CBI would like to share with members the latest policy update briefing from the UK Intellectual Property Office.

This is an ad-hoc newsletter to inform UK stakeholders of recent developments in the Chinese IP environment. This edition of the newsletter includes a summary of the second deliberation draft of China’s amended Copyright Law, the latest guidance from China’s Supreme Court on searching for precedents when bringing cases to trial in China, and new guidelines from China’s National Intellectual Property Administration relating to administrative patent enforcement.

To find the briefing in full, please download below:

Download (8) 21 2020 - China IP Newsletter August 2020

Our thanks to the UK's IPO for kindly sharing this newsletter with CHINA DIRECT

UK FDI Flows 2019-20 - A DIT Summary

The UK's Department for International Trade has just published its latest FDI figures to the UK.

• The UK attracted 1,852 new inward investment projects in the 2019/20 financial year; a 4% increase on the previous year.
• Investment from #AsiaPacific was responsible for 190 of those projects, with #Australia and #NewZealand accounting for 72 projects, and #Japan 65 projects.
• Please download the PDF below to find out how your sector has performed:
• Download Department_for_International_Trade_inward_investment_results_2019_to_2020

CHINA DIRECT would like to thank UK Gov in APAC for kindly sharing this information.

British Business Awards 2020 - applications open now!

 

We are delighted to announce that the British Business Awards 2020 website (www.britishbusinessawards.cn) is now live and online applications open. 

Established in 2008 and now in its twelfth year, the biennial British Business Awards (BBA) recognises and promotes excellence in innovation, enterprise, and endeavour, in the British and Chinese business communities. The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai is excited to be hosting BBA 2020 in Shanghai.

Over the past decade, BBA in China has grown to become a prestigious feature of the business calendar. BBA 2020 consists of nine categories which showcase a number of organisations and individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to trade and investment in China. These awards are:

·    Innovation Award (Sponsored by bp)

·    Sustainability Award (Sponsored by Houghton Street Consulting)

·    Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Sponsored by The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai)

·    Chinese Investor in the UK Award

·    British Exporter of the Year Award (Sponsored by CBBC)

·    Leadership Award (Sponsored by The University of Manchester China Centre)

·    Best Employer Award (Sponsored by Smith+Nephew)

·    Best Services Award (Sponsored by KPMG China)

·    British Company of the Year Award (Sponsored by SpiraxSarco)

 

Key Dates of BBA 2020

·    Wednesday, 27 May: Official Website Launch & Online Applications

·    Thursday, 11 June: Official Launch Event

·    Friday, 31 July: Applications Close

·    Thursday, 3 September: Finalists Announcement

·    Thursday, 29 October: Awards Gala Dinner

For more details about each award and its criteria, please click here. To apply for the awards, please click here to register an account first or find your old account back.

BBA 2020 is supported by Department for International Trade (DIT), China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), The British Council, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and British Chambers in Beijing, Guangdong and Southwest.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

British Embassy Beijing - Shipping Urgent Medical Equipment from China: Updated Info

Dear CBI Members and Partners,

Kindly find some important updated information regarding the shipping of urgent medical equipment from China issued by HM Ambassador Barbara Woodward and her team at the British Embassy Beijing. There are two detailed documents attached below for your reference:

Download 20200416 Guidance for Exporting PPEMedical devices from China to the UK v2

Download A Quick Guide to Organising Charter Flights to China v2

Procurement

Procuring medical supplies is becoming ever more complex and should be approached with great caution. There is significant demand on the Chinese market for medical equipment, resulting in a number of intermediaries offering their services. European intermediaries rely on at least one Chinese intermediary on the mainland to negotiate directly with the manufacturers. Given current market instability, Chinese intermediaries are making commitments without any pre-existing product allocation. Although these commitments are made in good faith, some intermediaries find the stock they believed had been allocated to them has been sold to a different intermediary offering a higher price, more immediate payment or increasingly, access to in-demand raw material.

We advise caution in dealing with intermediaries: companies wishing to procure stock from China should conduct due diligence checks and preferably procure pre-existing stock. The British Embassy Beijing is prioritising procurement directly from manufacturers and large Chinese healthcare distributors.

Shipping

In the first instance if companies are trying to ship equipment to the UK the Embassy continues to recommend that they charter a flight. DHL is still working and other carriers, including Cathay Pacific, have offered cargo routes, and China’s Civil Aviation Authority has simplified and shortened the approval process. See attached guide to organising charter flights, which can be shared with companies.

In addition to chartering, flights companies may find helpful the attached guidance on exporting, which includes guidance notes on new regulation as well as an updated checklist of certification requirements required from the supplier. This will help in preventing customs issues arising at the airport.

As previously set out, if a company has a small package that is urgent, the Embassy can try to get it onto flights being chartered for urgent equipment for the NHS and DHSC. This will depend on available space and an understanding that HMG-procured equipment will take priority on these flights. In this case, please advise the company to contact DHSC ([email protected]). This route allows a single point of contact for handling and frees up Beijing staff to continue to speed up supply chains and delivery of urgent PPE (gowns in particular) and ventilators.

 

City of London publishes Quarterly Report on China

 

CBI member, City of London Corporation has published its 4^th edition of London RMB Business Quarterly, in partnership with People’s Bank of China.

This latest edition documents how the average daily trading volume of the Chinese Renminbi over the course of Q1 2019 in London was more than £78 billion, up 30% year-on-year. Moreover, the UK capital now accounts for 44% of total global FX transactions.

Other highlights of the report include:

• The UK retained its position of having the largest share of RMB payments outside greater China.  
• Cross-border receipts and payments between China and the UK saw massive growth, hitting more than 55 billion RMB, up 86% on February 2019 and more than 100% on the same month in 2018.
• Investor appetite for dim sum bonds continued, with two more added to London Stock Exchange in May 2019 meaning 101 Dim Sum bonds are now listed on the Exchange with an outstanding value of 27.63 billion RMB.

The report also includes commentary on the UK’s role within China’s Belt & Road Initiative as one of the main financial centres along the silk road. London is now home to over 250 foreign banks, which has allowed it to emerge as a natural partner for financing projects related to the BRI but in 3^rd markets. The report continues to document how the policy outcomes of the UK – China Economic & Financial Dialogue, that took place in June, will enable London to take on a key role in facilitating the internationalisation of the RMB and in driving up environmental standards in the financing and deliverance of projects.

To read the report in full, please follow the link.