Recently, the 2024 Guangzhou-UK Economic and Trade Cooperation Roundtable Dialogue was held in Guangzhou. “Guangzhou has a huge consumer market.” The person in charge of the British company participating in the dialogue revealed that they will actively deploy in Guangzhou. Zhao Tang, President of the China-Britain Business Council China, said, “In November this year, the Chairman of the China-Britain Business Council will visit China again with a British business delegation. We look forward to having further exchanges with the Guangzhou Municipal Government on the investment environment.”
This dialogue was hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau, China-Britain Business Council, Haizhu District Government, and Guangzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. The British Minister to China, Maggie Cheung, the British Consul General in Guangzhou, Meng Shiran, and the China-Britain Business Council President Zhao Tang, together with representatives from the British Taylor Group, Arup, Rex Group, Savills, InterContinental Hotels Group, and United Lee Heads of foreign companies such as China, British Standards Institution, KPMG, United Energy Technology and Commercial Company, Special Office of the Ministry of Commerce, Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, Guangzhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, Science and Technology Bureau, Haizhu District Investment Promotion More than 100 guests, including relevant heads of bureaus and other departments, and representatives of central enterprises and institutions, attended the meeting.
Guangzhou’s huge market attracts investment from British companies
In her speech, British Minister to China Margaret Ma said that as one of the global centers of trade, transport, logistics, manufacturing and innovation, Guangzhou has become an amplifier of broader Sino-British relations. British consulates across China are committed to playing an active and supportive role, supporting productive exchanges and unlocking more opportunities for cooperation.
Peter Bai, president of the China-Britain Business Council, said in a video speech that British investment in Guangzhou increased significantly last year, and more and more British companies are developing and growing here. The China-Britain Business Council is willing to assist British-funded enterprises to strengthen cooperation with Guangzhou and achieve mutual benefit.
According to reports, as of June 2024, the UK has invested in a total of 420 companies in Guangzhou, with actual use of foreign capital of US$1.215 billion. British companies’ investments in Guangzhou are mainly concentrated in the fields of technology promotion and application services, air transportation, and wholesale industries.
British companies pay attention to Guangzhou’s low-altitude economic development
In the keynote promotion session, Wu Bingxiang, deputy director of the Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau, made a special presentation on Guangzhou’s business environment and investment opportunities. He Junxiong, director of the Haizhu District Investment Promotion Bureau, introduced in detail the cultural tourism, commerce and trade, ecology, innovation, education and art of Haizhu District. With six business cards, Guangzhou Public Transport Group introduced its international business development plan and provided “new energy digital transportation integrated service solutions” in areas such as new energy comprehensive services and cross-border logistics. In the enterprise sharing session, Ma Juan, Director of Standards Application for South China of the British Standards Institute, and Huang Wenkai, Partner of KPMG, introduced and shared topics such as enterprise development vision in China, cooperation opportunities, and the development status of multinational companies in Guangzhou.
During the Q&A session, British-funded enterprises focused on the development of Guangzhou’s low-altitude economy, their positioning and expectations for British-funded enterprises under the new investment promotion system, how to respond to the technological progress and business opportunities brought about by the global aviation industry’s emission reduction actions, and how to carry out international On issues such as cooperation to promote development in the field of carbon emission reduction, each company responded accurately to relevant municipal and district committees and bureaus, central enterprises and institutional personnel, and the atmosphere of on-site exchanges was lively.
Xie Weiguang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, expressed his affirmation of the holding of the exchange meeting. He said that the British-funded enterprises attending the meeting paid great attention to Guangzhou’s science and technology, low-carbon environmental protection, low-altitude economy and other fields, and put forward new ideas and suggestions, which are worthy of serious consideration and reference by various departments in Guangzhou. Guangzhou will continue to provide the highest quality service guarantee , and also look forward to the China-Britain Business Council further playing a role as a bridge to guide and promote British-funded enterprises to launch more high-quality cooperation projects in Guangzhou.
“This dialogue is a very important platform for British-funded enterprises and the China-Britain Business Association. Our member enterprises raise questions and suggestions to different government departments and understand the latest policy trends in Guangzhou. We continue to work hard to improve Guangzhou’s With regard to the business environment, I hope more British companies can invest in Guangzhou or explore more business opportunities here,” Zhao Tang said.
“Guangzhou has a huge consumer market,” Liu Xiao, vice president of corporate affairs of the Asia-Pacific region of Tate & Lyle Group, told reporters. “Some of our business areas are considering actively deploying in Guangdong, especially Guangzhou. Especially in the biomedical sector, we hope Carry out more and in-depth exchanges and tap the potential for cooperation.”
According to the relevant person in charge of Unilever, Guangzhou, as an international consumer center city, has attracted many large fast-moving consumer goods companies like Unilever to gather here. In the future, Unilever will combine its own expertise in brand, market, R&D, supply chain, etc. The advantages in the field will drive more upstream and downstream enterprises, expand the cluster effect, and strive to build the Guangzhou base into the export center of Unilever China.(Reporter Huang Yuyong)