On 30 January, the China–UK Business Forum, jointly hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the UK Government and supported by Bank of China, was held at Bank of China’s Head Office in Beijing. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attended the forum and delivered a speech. The forum was chaired by Ren Hongbin, Chairman of CCPIT, who also addressed the event. Senior UK participants included Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade; Lucy Rigby, Economic Secretary to the Treasury; and Peter Wilson, British Ambassador to China. Senior Chinese participants included Ge Haijiao, Chairman of Bank of China; Zhang Hui, President of Bank of China; Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Zheng Zhe, Vice Minister of China National Health Commission; Huang Huabo, Deputy Director General of the National Healthcare Security Administration; and Yang Sheng, Deputy Director General of the National Medical Products Administration.
At the CEO Roundtable, Chairman Ge Haijiao stated that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had met the previous day and provided strategic guidance for the development of a longterm, stable and comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the United Kingdom. He noted that China is becoming a major bilateral investment country, with its economy continuing to upgrade in quality and structure, the modern industrial system steadily advancing, and enterprises accelerating their international expansion. These trends align closely with the United Kingdom’s industrial development priorities and international cooperation agenda. Ge highlighted that in 1929, Bank of China established the first overseas financial agency founded by a Chinese institution, marking the beginning of its global development. At present, Bank of China operates in major UK cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, with services extending across Europe and Africa, and its key businesses remain the leading position among Chinese banks operating in the UK. Ge added that Bank of China will continue to leverage its role as a bridge between the two countries by advancing innovation in financial products and services, supporting mutually beneficial cooperation in education, healthcare, finance and services, promoting collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence, life sciences, new energy and low-carbon technologies, assisting UK enterprises in expanding into the Chinese market, and supporting Chinese enterprises investing and operating in the UK, thereby continuously contributing financial momentum to the long-term, stable development of the China–UK comprehensive strategic partnership.
At the thematic session on “Unlocking Regional Opportunities”, Zhang Hui stated that the forum represents a practical step in implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and in deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He noted that Bank of China is willing to work with all parties to expand cooperation space, strengthen multi-sector engagement, promote sustainable development, enhance connectivity, jointly develop offshore RMB markets, and support higher-quality interaction between Chinese and UK enterprises.
During the forum, Bank of China released the Financial Services Handbook for Supporting the High-Quality Development of Foreign- Invested Enterprises and the Comprehensive Financial Services Programme for Supporting Chinese Enterprises’ Development in the UK and China–UK Joint Development of Third- Party Markets.
Bank of China Vice Presidents Cai Zhao, Wu Jian, Yang Jun, and Liu Chenggang attended the event. More than 300 representatives from government departments, business communities, trade associations, enterprises and media organisations from China and the United Kingdom participated in the forum.
