The second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), which convened Tuesday in Beijing, provides a crucial platform for UK firms to strengthen their presence in the Chinese market and explore new partnerships to boost trade, said a British executive in an interview.
John McLean, Chairman of the China-UK Business Development Center, noted that the CISCE is essential for gaining firsthand insights into China's rapid development and the myriad opportunities it presents for global businesses.
"One thing you never have enough of is being up to date with what China's doing. So, to come to an event like this, it brings it into real life. And as soon as you are actually taking the Chinese phrase of 'seeing is believing,' you now know what the capabilities are, the advancements which have been made and therefore the opportunities and indeed the options and alternatives available to companies. So, one thing that really came strongly out of the discussions this morning is that by having people all come together, the issue of supply chain becomes critical, not in its purity, but in terms of how I work with you when I've got problems, how we sort them out, how we innovate, how we can grow together. Because being a supplier or being part of the chain is all of about partnership and collaboration," McLean said.
This year's expo comes at pivotal moments for UK-China relations. On Nov 18, President Xi Jinping met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK, paid an official visit to China and met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in October, holding disucssions on enhancing trade and economic cooperation.
McLean highlighted that these high-level engagements have ushered in a "new era" in UK-China relations, fostering a positive climate for future business collaboration. The clear signals from both leaderships indicate a genuine desire to strengthen economic ties.
"Both countries want growth, both countries want to improve their trade with each other. And there's kind of lines of communication now open, so the tone, the vibes are far better. So when I go back, one of my jobs is to my colleagues in the UK, is to promote China. And indeed, when I'm speaking at various forums here over the next few days, I will be pushing that we are open for business with China and China is open for business with us," he said.
The second CISCE is scheduled for Tuesday till Saturday, aiming to promote global interconnectivity across upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. As the world's first national-level exhibition focusing on supply chains, the CISCE gathers industry leaders and experts from around the world and helps promote global cooperation in industrial and supply chains.
UK businesses embrace China's growing market at CISCE
