OREANDA-NEWS. October 29, 2015. UKTI and the Bank of China, Britain’s longest established Chinese bank, hosted a successful business matchmaking event in Manchester during the state visit of President Xi Jinping.

Opportunities in China

Michael Charlton, Minister Counsellor and Acting Director-General, UKTI China, said:

China is a huge and expanding market for UK businesses. UK exports have increased by over 37% in the last 2 years and we are determined for that figure to increase.

The sectors targeted for the event included:

  • food and drink
  • healthcare and medical
  • retail and consumer products
  • clothing, footwear and fashion
  • aerospace, automotive, advanced engineering
  • renewable energy

Read UKTI’s Exporting to China guide for more information on opportunities, and doing business in China.

Manchester SME event

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) matchmaking event brought together 100 SMEs from across China to the UK to be business ‘match-made’ to SMEs from across the UK.

Michael Charlton said:

This match-making event is an excellent opportunity for UK and Chinese businesses to share industry insights, discuss market developments, break down trade barriers and develop relationships.

The companies benefited from being able to meet face to face in order to explore doing business together. The meetings were arranged beforehand thanks to a business matchmaking exercise carried out by UKTI, CBBC and the Bank of China.

Find out more about UKTI international trade services for UK companies looking to, or already exporting.