On 28th March 2019, the CCCUK actively supported the People’s Government of Hunan Province to carry out China-UK Economic and Trade Cooperation and co-organised the Hunan-UK Future Innovation Summit. H.E. Ambassador, LIU Xiaoming, XU Dazhe, Governor of Hunan Province, Baroness Fairhead CBE, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion at the DIT, FANG Wenjian, Chairman of the CCCUK and President of Bank of China London Branch, Lord Sassoon FCA, Chairman of the China-Britain Business Council, and Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club attended the summit and delivered their speeches. Over 300 representatives from business, Science and technology, and media circles were present.

Picture 1: H.E. Ambassador, LIU Xiaoming delivering a keynote speech

H.E. Ambassador, LIU Xiaoming delivered a keynote speech titled ‘Innovation and Cooperation for the Brilliant Future’. Ambassador LIU spoke highly of the innocative and pioneering spirit of Hunan Province and the UK, calling them both “cradles of great people with a pioneering spirit, models on innovation and good partners for cooperation”. He encouraged the two to strengthen strategic alignment, intensify industrial cooperation, continually promote the cooperation in innovation through local-to-local cooperation, boost their respective growth, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, thereby contributing to the sustainability for the Golden Era.

Picture 2: XU Dazhe, Governor of Hunan Province delivering a speech

XU Dazhe, Governor of Hunan Province briefed the participants on the economic and social developmentand strengths of innovation industry in Hunan Province. He represented that Hunan has witnessed the mushrooming of major innovations, the continuous perfection of innovation platform, and the continual emergence of innovation effect in recent years. He expressed the hope that China and the UK will give full play to their respective advantages and strengthen cooperation in emerging industries, innovative R&D, achievement transformation and talent training so as to achieve common development and contribute to building an innovative world economy.

  Picture 3: Baroness Fairhead CBE, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion at DIT delivering a speech

Baroness Fairhead spoke highly of the progress in communication and cooperation betweenHunan Province and Britain. She pointed out that Princess Anne’s successful visit to Hunan the year before last gave a strong boost to the cooperation between both sides. Thereafter, the Department of International Trade sent the minister of state to visit Hunan, which further promoted the innovation and cooperation between the two sides. Lord Sassoon and Chairman Perry described the cooperation between the UK and Hunan in economics & trade and innovation and the rare opportunities they face.

Picture 4: FANG Wenjian, CCCUK Chairman and General Manager of Bank of China London Branch delivering a speech

FANG Wenjian, Chairman of the CCCUK and President of Bank of China London Branch said that the CCCUK, known as the ‘Home of Chinese Companies in the UK’, expressed a warm welcome to the Hunan delegation to the UK. Even there are lots of uncertainties surrounding the UK’s decision to leave the EU, CCCUK will, however, keep on deepening exchanges and cooperation with all walks of life in China and the UK, actively assisting in the connection between enterprises of Hunan and the UK, and promoting more fruitful trade and investment between the two countries.

Picture 5: China and the UK signing cooperation agreements and MoUs

Ambassador LIU, Governor XU, Chairman FANG, and the foreign guests witnessed the signing ceremony between Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, Zhuzhou Municipal People’s Government, and a number of Hunan-based enterprises and British enterprises on R&D and manufacturing of medical devices, tourism & entertainment, retail, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, etc. After the signing ceremony, the representatives from Hunan and British enterprises launched series of panel discussions on “smart manufacturing” and “life technologies & medicine”.