China-UK Visit Raises Inward Investment Prospects
AN IMPORTANT minister and business expert from China’s government has visited a number of key companies and projects to raise awareness of inward investment and trade opportunities in north-west England as well as to explore the potential for developing closer ties with China.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and regional partners hosted a visit from Jiang Fan, Minister Counsellor of the Economic & Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, and colleagues to promote stronger investment links with China.
Minister Jiang Fan said that China is keen to build closer business links with the region and how all concerned can get together to take this forward.
The tour included a visit to MediaCity:UK, where the NWDA highlighted the progress that has been made on the development to create a world-class media city at Manchester’s Salford Quays.
Later, Wigan Council officials gave a presentation on plans for a 125 million pounds textile-manufacturing hub in Wigan that will build the largest clothing and textile industry centre in Europe.
The project, which will be home to a large number of China’s companies trading with the UK and Europe, is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs and a further 3,000 jobs in associated industries.
As part of the tour, Minister Jiang Fan also visited one of the region’s key strategic investors, Astra Zeneca, as well as meeting with UK Trade & Investment Northwest and the China Britain Business Council to discuss trade links with China.
“China is a key market for the north-west,” said Mark Hughes, NWDA’s executive director of Enterprise & Skills. “The region secured 17 investments from Chinese companies during 2006/07 and exported over 360 million pounds’ worth of goods to China in 2006, and the NWDA is working with our partners to capitalise on this and create new trade and investment opportunities with this important market.
“This visit provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the north-west as a world-class business location, and to identify opportunities to strengthen the Chinese presence within the region,” he added.
Midas, Manchester’s inward investment agency, also presented on the strengths of the Manchester city region and the dedicated support available to China’s companies.
The tour also included a visit to the European Capital of Culture, Liverpool, organised by Chinalink and which involved a round-table discussion with representatives from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Liverpool City Council, Wirral Borough Council, the Mersey Partnership, Liverpool Vision, the Port of Liverpool, Peel Development and Susino (UK) Ltd, discussing various present and future projects to promote two-way trade and investment with China.
After, Minister Jiang Fan said: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the north-west to explore ways of developing stronger ties between the region and China. Building closer trade and investment links with the region is something I am keen to develop further and this visit provided a lot of constructive debate on how we can work together to take this forward.”
The north-west has strong cultural ties with China, with Manchester being home to one of the largest Chinese populations outside London, and Liverpool is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe. It is a key overseas market for the region and the NWDA is working with partners to strengthen its links with the country.
As well employing a dedicated China country manager to promote the region to China’s market, the NWDA supports Sinoventures, a project based at Manchester Science Park.
This aims to attract small and high-tech start-up companies from China by providing a tailored package of business development and relocation assistance and high quality serviced office accommodation. It is one of only two business incubators in the UK recognised by China’s Ministry of Science & Technology.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England’s north-west and is responsible for:
* supporting business growth and encouraging investment;
* matching skills provision to employer needs;
* creating the conditions for economic growth;
* connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure and promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life.
In the six years since the NWDA was established it has created or safeguarded 170,000 jobs, created 9,000 businesses, reclaimed 3,500 hectares (8,645 acres) of brownfield land and levered two billion pounds of private investment.
The new MediaCity:UK will be an innovative, creative hub, to rival other media centres emerging around the world. A major BBC presence there will attract other producers as well as stimulate and attract a huge range of media-related activity from advertising to design, video games to music and new media not yet invented.
“MediaCity:UK based at Salford Quays, Manchester’s waterfront, enjoys all the benefits of the city centre, with vast space for a huge increase of new media and creative industries,” said a spokesman.
Affordable space and support will be provided for independents, ICT and creative businesses to interact, expand and flourish. Universities and skills providers across northern England have been brought together to provide research, training and education to stimulate the competitiveness of creative industries within MediaCity:UK
“Salford Quays already has more than 150 media-related businesses. Its theatres, galleries, museums, cinema, shops, bars, restaurants and water sports attract more than four million visitors each year; 13,000 people already work there and nearly 7,000 call it home.”
Caption: Business partners: to promote stronger investment links with China, Jiang Fan - Minister Counsellor of the Economic & Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China - and colleagues visited the UK’s Northwest Regional Development Agency and regional partners
中国官员的访问提升了英国外商投资前景
来自中国政府的一位部长级重要官员和商务专家访问了英国一些主要的公司和项目，增强了英格兰西北部地区外商投资和贸易机会，也增强了该地区进一步开发与中国关系潜力的认识。
英国西北地区发展署（NWDA）和地区合作伙伴招待了中国驻英国大使馆经济商务处公使衔参赞江帆及其同事的访问，双方进一步促进了英国与中国更强劲的投资联系。
江帆参赞说中国非常希望与该地区建立更进一步的商业联系，以及如何集合起双方都关心的问题来促进这种联系。
访问英国“媒体城” 包括在本次行程之中，英国西北地区发展署突出展示了在曼彻斯特索尔福德码头创建一个世界级媒体城的进展过程。
随后，维根区议会（Wigan Council）的官员介绍了一个投资1.25亿英镑在维根区建造一个纺织品制造中心的计划，这将建立起欧洲最大的衣物和纺织品工业中心。
这个计划将包括与英国和欧洲有贸易往来的许多中国公司，预计可以带来1,000个工作职位，同时还会在相关工业领域增加3,000个就业职位。
作为本次访问行程的一部分，江帆参赞还参观了该地区重要的战略投资企业阿斯利康，并会见了英国西北部贸易投资署（UK Trade & Investment Northwest）和英中贸易协会（China Britain Business Council）的人，讨论与中国的贸易联系。
“中国是西北部的重要市场”，英国西北地区发展署企业与技能处（Enterprise & Skills）执行主任 Mark Hughes说，“在2006到2007年度，共有17家中国公司在本地区投资，2006年向中国出口的商品价值超过了3.6亿英镑，西北地区发展署还与合作伙伴一起投资中国，并在这个重要的市场上创造新的贸易和投资机会。”
“本次访问为展现西北部世界级的经商区域地位提供了一个有价值的机会，也是中国企业加强在该地区实力的机会”，他补充说。
曼彻斯特的外商投资机构曼彻斯特投资发展署（Midas）也在加强曼彻斯特城区的实力，并致力于支持中国的公司。
本次行程还包括访问“欧洲文化之都”利物浦，由英中贸易联络中心（Chinalink）组织，期间还有一个由来自利物浦商会、利物浦市议会、威勒尔区议会（Wirral Borough Council）、Mersey Partnership、利物浦风光（Liverpool Vision）、利物浦港（Port of Liverpool）, “皮尔开发项目”（Peel Development ）和梅花（英国）有限公司（ Susino (UK) Ltd）的代表们参加的协商讨论会，讨论了促进中英双向贸易和投资的现有及未来计划。
随后，江帆参赞说：“我很高兴有机会访问西北部地区，并探寻开辟该地区与中国更强联系的途径。与该地区建立进一步的贸易和投资联系将是我未来工作的重点。这次访问就我们如何合作来促进双边关系提供了许多有建设性意义的思考。”
英国西北地区与中国有着很强的文化联系，曼彻斯特正在成为在英国除伦敦之外最大的中国人聚居地，而利物浦则是欧洲最古老的华人社区所在地。中国是这个地区重要的海外市场，而且英国西北地区发展署正在与合作伙伴们一起加强与中国的联系。
同时还聘请了一名专门的驻中国管理者来促进该地区在中国市场的发展，同时英国西北地区发展署还支持中英创业园（Sinoventures），一个基于曼彻斯特科技园（Manchester Science Park）的项目。
通过提供特定的适合商业发展的整套措施和选址协助、推荐高质量的服务单位，来吸引中国新兴小型高科技公司。这里是中国科技部认可的两个英国企业孵化中心之一。
英国西北地区发展署引导英格兰西北部地区的经济发展和再建，并负责以下事务：
*支持商业发展，鼓励投资
*提供雇主需要的技能
* 为经济增长创造条件
*通过有效的交通和信息基础建设建立起地区纽带，提升地区高水平生活质量
自英国西北地区发展署建立6年以来，已经带来了或保证了170,000个工作职位，建立起9,000家公司，开发了3,500公顷（8,645英亩）棕地，吸收了20亿英镑的民间投资。
新的英国“媒体城”将成为一个创新和创意中心，可与世界上其他地方的媒体中心相抗衡。BBC在这里落户，将吸引其他媒体公司，同时也能刺激和吸引从广告到设计、计算机游戏到音乐及尚未发明的新媒体等与媒体相关的一大批活动在这里出现和落户。
“英国‘媒体城’位于曼彻斯特海滨地区的索尔福德码头，可以利用到城市中心的一切设施，这里有巨大的空间可以容纳新增的媒体和创意产业公司”，一位发言人如是说。
这里将为个人、信息与通讯技术企业和创意企业提供足够的空间和支持，让他们可以互相影响、不断扩大、取得繁荣。遍布英格兰北部的大学和技能供应机构也被聚集在一起，提供研究、培训和教育，来刺激英国“媒体城”内的创意产业之间的竞争。
“索尔福德码头已经有150多个与媒体相关的公司进驻。这里的剧院、画廊、博物馆、电影院、商店、酒吧、餐馆以及水上运动场馆每年吸引着400多万的游客前来。有13,000人在这里工作，近7,000人居住在这里。”
说明：商业伙伴：为了促进与中国更强健的投资联系，中国驻英国大使馆经济商务处公使衔参赞江帆及同事访问了英国西北地区发展署及地区合作伙伴。
