On Tuesday, 10 December 2013, The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai invited members to join Sebastian Wood, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, for an informal lunch and briefing at Manchester Business School China Centre, following the British Prime Minister’s recent visit to China.



The objective of the visit was to build relationships for the future, push forward trade and investment relationships and to discuss global issues.

The Prime Minister brought with him six government ministers and a trade and cultural delegation of 130 including over 50 SMEs, and museums and universities.

During the briefing, the Ambassador emphasised Britain’s strategic fit with China, which presents an “historic opportunity (for partnership) that applies only to the UK (within Western countries)”.

The Ambassador also highlighted key results of visit which saw the announcement of over £6 bn worth of business deals. They included with Jack Ma (Alibaba) an agreement by T-mall, China’s largest online retail platform, to fast-track and promote UK brands (150 SMEs so far have signed up); and new bilateral platforms for companies in two crucial, high-potential new markets: healthcare and digital media.

Over 70 MoUs and agreements were signed, including big agreements on healthcare, science, and education.

Alongside was a three-day rolling “British Business Embassy” with presentations, seminars and workshops, covering a wide range of issues from offshore wind to healthcare. A symposium on the Shanghai Free Trade Zone was also held.