When British Prime Minister Keir Stamer finished his four-day visit to China, his briefcase was filled with export orders and market access achievements worth approximately £ 22 billion. Although the comprehensive free trade agreement between China and the UK has not yet been finalized, cooperation agreements between enterprises in key areas such as consumer retail, automobile manufacturing, and new energy have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

The commercial ties between China and the UK are rapidly rebuilding in specific projects, with billions of pounds of Chinese investment commitments in the UK echoing AstraZeneca's additional $15 billion investment in China.

Dual track integration of consumption and manufacturing

In the field of consumer retail, Bubble Mart, a giant of Chinese popular games, is the first to announce that it will set up a regional headquarters in London. In the next year, 27 stores will be opened in Europe, including 7 stores in the UK, which is expected to create more than 150 jobs.

At the same time, the Liverpool City Council in the UK revealed through social media that China's Chery Commercial Vehicle plans to establish a regional headquarters here, and the market generally expects it to cooperate with Jaguar Land Rover to jointly explore the UK market.

Biomedical cooperation has also deepened simultaneously. Tianjin based company Kailaiying announced a significant expansion of its UK business, adding 150 new positions in research and manufacturing over the next five years. This plan has been confirmed by the UK government.

New energy cooperation becomes the biggest highlight

New energy has become the most visible sector in this economic and trade cooperation. Chinese energy storage company Haichen Energy Storage has pledged to invest £ 200 million in the UK, creating 300 job opportunities, and its technology will be used to enhance the stability of the UK power grid.

At the same time, the British asset management company Schroder Group signed a memorandum of cooperation with CATL to jointly develop battery energy storage systems in Europe, supporting CATL's international layout.

Simultaneous opening of market access and investment

Collaboration is not one-way. As early as the eve of Stammer's visit to China, British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced an additional $15 billion investment in China to expand local research and development, and plans to have over 20000 employees in China by 2030.

In terms of market access, China has promised to broaden the channels for British companies to enter China. JD.com stated that it will assist British brands in connecting with hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers, and its cross-border e-commerce platform JD Global Shopping will launch in the UK in March this year.

According to a survey by the British Chamber of Commerce, about one-third of British companies plan to increase their investment in China, with a focus on expanding their business and piloting localization. Welsh manufacturer Cultech and bicycle brand Brompton are planning to increase their exports to China, and Octopus Energy Group will also establish a joint venture with Chinese PCG Electric to enter the Chinese clean energy market. Keywords: macro news, international cooperation

Although Stamer's trip did not bring a comprehensive free trade agreement, it solidly promoted the reconnection of the Chinese and British economies at the industrial and corporate levels. From hundreds of millions of pounds in investment commitments to hundreds of new jobs, from trendy toy stores to grid energy storage, China UK economic and trade cooperation is seeking a new era of cooperation in specific projects.Editor/Yang Meiling