The “Icebreaker” 2025 Chinese New Year Dinner Successfully Hosted by The 48 Group, China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and China-Britain Business Council

On 22 January 2025, Vice-President of China, HAN Zheng sent a congratulatory letter to the “Icebreaker” 2025 Chinese New Year Dinner, organised by the 48 Group, China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and China-Britain Business Council. The Chinese Ambassador to the UK, ZHENG Zeguang, attended the event and delivered the Vice-President’s congratulatory message.

In his congratulatory message, Vice-President HAN Zheng pointed out that in 1953, the late Mr Jack Perry led a group of visionary British business leaders with extraordinary courage and wisdom to break through barriers and open the doors to China-UK trade, laying a solid foundation for the friendly cooperation between the two countries. The “Icebreakers Spirit” has been a part of the development of China-UK relations for over 70 years. Looking to the future, the potential for China-UK cooperation is vast, with broad prospects. Against the backdrop of numerous challenges facing the international community, as two major global economies and financial powers, China and the UK deepening dialogue and cooperation will not only benefit both sides but also make a positive contribution to global peace and prosperity.

Ambassador ZHENG Zeguang delivers a keynote speech (Figure 1)

In his address, ZHENG Zeguang, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, pointed out that since the 1950s, the “Icebreaker” spirit has laid a solid foundation for the development of China-UK relations, opening a new chapter for cooperation between the two countries in politics, economics, culture, and other fields. It has also set an example for the international community in terms of cooperation and win-win outcomes. He fully acknowledged the historic contributions of “Icebreakers” to China-UK relations, emphasising that this not only reflects the Chinese government’s high regard for deepening China-UK ties but also serves as a lofty tribute to the visionaries of both countries, while calling upon all new-era actors who are committed to promoting friendly cooperation between China and the UK.

He pointed out that the world is currently undergoing unprecedented changes in a century, with rising protectionism in intellectual property rights, intensifying geopolitical tensions, the severe climate crisis, and slowing global economic growth, making it more essential than ever for the international community to have confidence, determination, and unity. Over the past year, China has shown its determination and ability to advance Chinese-style modernisation in adversity, achieving significant successes in areas such as the economy, green development, technological innovation, and international trade. China’s development has not only injected vitality into the global economy but also provided stability and predictability in this uncertain world. He emphasized that, in the face of global challenges, the stable development of China-UK relations is particularly important. The two countries need to draw inspiration from the “Icebreaker” spirit, maintaining positive momentum based on existing cooperation achievements. He called on China and the UK to actively promote cooperation in fields such as new energy, artificial intelligence, technology, trade, and education, while strengthening coordination in international and regional affairs to jointly address global challenges and inject new vitality into the long-term healthy development of China-UK relations.

The event brought together nearly 500 distinguished guests from political and business circles of China and the UK. Key attendees included Ambassador ZHENG Zeguang; Mr Jack Perry, Chairman of The 48 Group; Mr FANG Wenjian, Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in the UK and General Manager of Bank of China London Branch; Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Chairman of China-Britain Business Council and Senior Adviser to HSBC; and Mr Dominic Barton, former Canadian Ambassador to China and Chairman of the Board of Rio Tinto. These notable figures delivered speeches during the event.

Chairman of The 48 Group, Mr. Jack Perry, addresses the audience (Figure 2)

Jack Perry, Chairman of The 48 Group Club, expressed his gratitude for the congratulatory letter from Vice President of China, HAN Zheng, and Ambassador ZHENG Zeguang’s strong support for the “Icebreaker” 2025 Chinese New Year Dinner. He warmly welcomed the Ambassador and all guests of the event. In his opening remarks, Jack emphasized that this annual dinner is an important platform for China-UK business exchange and cooperation. It not only celebrates the remarkable achievements in business cooperation between the two countries in recent years but also showcases the vast prospects for further deepening bilateral relations.

In his closing remarks, Jack congratulated the awardees, including Dominic, JD, and BYD, praising their outstanding achievements in their respective fields. His speech emphasised the key role of China-UK trade cooperation in driving excellence and common development, and expressed confidence in the continued deepening of bilateral relations. He believes that this dinner is not only a valuable opportunity to promote intellectual exchange and celebrate cooperative achievements but also an important milestone in propelling China-UK trade relations to new heights.

Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, Mr. FANG Wenjian, delivers a welcoming speech (Figure 3)

Mr FANG Wenjian, Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) and General Manager of Bank of China London Branch, delivered a welcome speech, expressing gratitude for the efforts made by everyone over the past year in promoting economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. Using the symbolic meaning of the “snake” in traditional Chinese culture, he emphasised the wisdom, adaptability, and ability to renew associated with the snake, calling on the economic and trade sectors of both countries to draw on the symbolic power of the “snake” to boldly “break the ice,” overcome obstacles, strengthen communication, and promote a new chapter of cooperation.

Chairman FANG Wenjian mentioned that over the past year, substantial progress had been made in China-UK trade relations, especially with the successful resumption of the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue after nearly six years of suspension. This dialogue led to 69 outcomes, including in areas such as financial reform, green finance, and biodiversity finance. Not only did it send a positive signal for the warming of China-UK trade relations, but it also injected new momentum into long-term cooperation between the two countries. He stated, “Through open dialogue and pragmatic cooperation, we can jointly usher in the ‘spring’ of China-UK trade relations.”

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles delivers a keynote address (Figure 4)

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Chairman of China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) and Senior Advisor to HSBC Group, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all those who have contributed to advancing China-UK bilateral relations in his speech. He pointed out that underpinned by a solid foundation of cooperation and common goals, China and the UK have overcome six years of challenges, and significant progress has been made in their relationship, including leaders’ talks, high-level visits, and frequent exchanges in culture, education, and business.

Sir Sherard particularly mentioned the growing economic ties between China and the UK, with UK exports to China increasing sixfold over the past twenty years, a large influx of Chinese investments into the UK, and nearly 200,000 Chinese students studying in the UK, fully demonstrating the potential for cooperation between the two countries. He called for both Chinese and British businesses, regardless of size, to strengthen their connections, deepen understanding and dialogue, and drive economic growth through cooperation, thereby improving the well-being of both peoples.

The theme of the “Icebreaker” 2025 Chinese New Year Dinner is revolved around the celebration of the Chinese New Year and building glory together, focusing on the fruitful outcomes of the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, injecting new wisdom and energy into deepening bilateral exchanges and cooperation. During the dinner, representatives from the political and business sectors of both countries celebrated the arrival of the Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake and discussed new opportunities for China-UK cooperation.

The event also featured an annual award ceremony to recognise individuals and businesses that have made outstanding contributions to promoting China-UK cooperation and exchanges. This year’s Icebreaker’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” was presented to Dominic Barton, former Canadian Ambassador to China and Chairman of the Board of Rio Tinto, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to promoting China-UK exchanges. The “Best Investment in the UK Award” was given to JD.com, honouring the company’s strategic investment and achievements in the UK market, with SU Wang, Vice President of JD and Head of International Legal Affairs, accepting the award. The “Best Business Growth Award” was presented to BYD UK, in recognition of BYD UK’s growing market share and success in the UK market, with GE Hongde, National Manager of BYD UK, accepting the award.

Mr. Dominic Barton delivers his speech (Figure 5)

Dominic Barton, upon receiving the Icebreaker’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” expressed his deep gratitude and recalled an unforgettable experience of working with Ambassador ZHENG Zeguang to promote China-Canadian relations. He mentioned that during a difficult negotiation process, Ambassador Zheng used humour to ease tensions, demonstrating his outstanding personal charm. Additionally, Dominic Barton shared a personal experience from 2006 in Shanghai, during the “Golden Era” of China-UK relations. He was questioned by the wife of the chairman of a Texas-based medical company, who accused him of having a rather ‘superficial’ understanding of China. This criticism prompted him to spend the following year deeply exploring rural China, meeting ordinary people from various backgrounds, and learning about their daily lives, which greatly enhanced his understanding of Chinese society. In his speech, he emphasized that truly understanding the Chinese people is key to building strong connections, and he concluded his remarks with a warm New Year’s greeting, “Happy Chinese New Year,” expressing his hopeful expectations for the future of China-UK cooperation.

Mr. SU Wang, Vice President of JD.com, delivers his speech (Figure 6)

Mr. SU Wang, Vice President of JD Group and Head of International Legal Affairs, stated that JD Group is deeply honoured to be awarded the Icebreaker’s “Best Investment Award in the UK”. He pointed out that the group will continue to increase its investment in the UK market, focusing on the development of e-commerce and logistics, while actively practicing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and strictly adhering to international green standards. Mr. SU Wang emphasised that in recent years, JD Group has comprehensively advanced its international strategy, and the UK, with its strong economic power and favourable business environment, has become one of the core destinations for the group’s international investments. Currently, the annual sales revenue of UK brands sold through JD’s platform has reached approximately 6.5 billion RMB. In the future, JD will further help more high-quality UK products enter the Chinese market, deepen China-UK economic and trade cooperation, and promote the business partnership between the two countries to a higher level.

 

Mr. GE Hongde, Country Manager of BYD UK, delivers his speech (Figure 7)

Mr GE Hongde, National Manager of BYD UK, stated in his speech that BYD, with new energy technology at its core, is committed to promoting green and sustainable development. In 2022, BYD delivered 4.27 million new energy vehicles globally, marking a significant milestone in China’s automobile manufacturing industry. In the UK market, the company has delivered over 2,000 pure electric buses, capturing approximately 75% of the London market share. Additionally, BYD has been deeply involved in the energy storage sector, providing a total of 2 gigawatt-hours of battery storage capacity, laying a solid foundation for the future development of new energy. He emphasised that BYD leads industry development through technological innovation, such as the new e3 platform, which is equipped with three independent motors, allowing for flexible “tank turns” and “90-degree in-place turns,” greatly improving driving convenience. Meanwhile, the “Blade Battery” ensures vehicle safety with its exceptional thermal management performance, and the “Vehicle-to-Load” (V2L) technology not only supports vehicle power supply but also provides energy for household and gardening equipment. In the future, BYD will continue to introduce more technological innovations and products, deepen China-UK cooperation, and contribute to green mobility and energy transformation.

The success of the event was made possible with strong support from China National Petroleum Corporation (London), HSBC UK, and ATFX. Key representatives from these organisations, including Mr. LU Weiwei, Deputy General Manager of China National Petroleum Corporation (London); Mr. Stuart Tait, Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC UK; and Mr. Joe Li, Chairman of ATFX, delivered speeches during the event.

Ms. LU Weiwei delivers his speech (Figure 8)

LU Weiwei, Deputy General Manager of China Petroleum International (London) Ltd., expressed in her speech that London, as the only city in the world combining trading, oil, green development, and financial services, provides a unique platform and vast opportunities for China-UK energy cooperation. She pointed out that the company is committed to diversified development and green transformation, with operations spanning oil, natural gas, electricity, carbon emissions, and renewable energy, aligning closely with global energy structural adjustment trends.

She emphasised that the economies of China and the UK are highly complementary, and both countries have achieved significant cooperation in financial services, healthcare, and infrastructure development, with even greater win-win potential in the energy sector. She reiterated that the company would continue to adhere to the philosophy of “cooperation and win-win, mutual growth,” and is committed to responding to global energy challenges through deepened cooperation and innovation, injecting new momentum into both China-UK economic relations and global sustainable development.

Group photo of key guests at the “Icebreaker” 2025 Chinese New Year Dinner (Figure 10)

The “Icebreaker” 2025 Chinese New Year Dinner has become a highly anticipated annual event in China-UK political and business circles. It serves as a significant platform for fostering friendship and advancing multi-sector collaboration. Amidst a vibrant and amicable atmosphere, attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on cooperation, opportunities, and shared challenges, injecting new vitality into pragmatic cooperation between China and the UK for the year ahead.