LinkToChina launched to give Buckinghamshire Global ‘Edge’

Posted on 17/11/2011 by BCC LinkToChina

In the landmark Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury, over 40 Buckinghamshire businesses gathered this afternoon to attend the launch of LinkToChina, the UK-China business matchmaking service described as the ideal tool for Buckinghamshire’s businesses to build business partnerships with China.

Dr. Kegang Wu, Executive Director of the LinkToChina programme, provided an overview on the specific changes within the Chinese market. He highlighted the new growth sectors and market opportunities in China market, as well as identifying areas that Buckinghamshire’s businesses would benefit most from when it comes to engaging with China.

Paul Britton (Thames Valley Chamber), Stuart Jones (CEO, Buckinghamshire Business First) and Mark Wathen (Inward Investment Manager, Aylesbury Vale District Council) were also the panel members for the seminar.

The launch was also attended by a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

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LinkToChina hosted the Chinese Ministry of Commerce

Posted on 17/11/2011 by BCC LinkToChina

LinkToChina hosted the Chinese Ministry of Commerce

This morning LinkToChina welcome a visit from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and six of its provincial chapters.

Officials from Guangdong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Yunnan, Tianjin and the Chinese central bank, The Peoples’ Bank of China, listened to a number of briefings provided by LinkToChina, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, and Wilkins Kennedy. The briefings covered the UK economy, chambers’ services and the UK-China business matchmaking services as well as those of its strategic partners.

Dr. Kegang Wu, Executive Director of LinkToChina, Christina Howell and Paul Britton, respective Head and Deputy Head of Thames Valley Chamber’s External Liaison, and Linda Penny, Partner of Wilkins Kennedy discussed with the delegates the opportunities in the UK for Chinese investors and those in China for UK exporters.  A number of UK proposals from UK companies were tabled at the meeting.

Ms Hou Yi, representing the group, thanked the British Chambers of Commerce, LinkToChina, and Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, expressing a keen interest to work closer together with chambers and LinkToChina in the future.

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Segro welcomes first Chinese Company to Slough

Posted on 10/11/2011 by BCC LinkToChina

Segro welcomes first Chinese Company to Slough and announces new development

HYT Telecommunication (UK), owned by Hytera （海能达）, the largest professional mobile radio equipment and solution provider of China, will be the first Chinese company to move into Slough Trading Estate. HYT Telecommunication, which distributes
Hytera radios across the United Kingdom is set to occupy a 4,510 sq ft unit
within the Trading Estate’s Enterprise Quarter. The company will utilise its
facility for the wholesale of telecommunications equipment, having signed a 10
year lease.

Chinese investment into the Thames Valley has been strongly supported by BCC LinkToChina, whose Head Office is based at the Thames Valley Chambers of Commerce Group. Andrew Yuan, Managing Director of Hytera said: “Slough was an obvious choice for a UK facility as it is a well established business hub situated in a logistically prime location. The flexible leases allow us to expand our UK operations in a way that suits our
current business needs.”

Paul Briggs, Chief Executive of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, added:
“It is very encouraging to see Chinese company like Hytera, choosing the Thames
Valley as a business location. We strongly believe that the ‘LinkToChina’
initiative is providing Thames Valley businesses with a head start when doing
business with Chinese companies.  The business match-making approach and
focus on inward investment is clearly already showing dividends. We hope to see
many more Chinese companies investing in the region in the future.”

Segro is a national strategic partner of the LinkToChina project. Dr. Kegang Wu, Executive Director of BCC LinkToChina, wants to help more Chinese investment into the UK. He said that since the programme set up its Head Office in Slough, more and more Chinese business delegations have been drawn to visit the Thames Valley.

In other news, Slough Borough Council has given the go ahead for SEGRO’s revised
and improved redevelopment plans for the Leigh Road Central Core which sits at
the heart of its ‘Vision for the Future’ master plan, a 20 year regeneration
plan for the Slough Trading Estate.  The new Leigh Road Central Core
scheme will deliver 150,000 sq m of office, leisure and amenity space,
providing two traffic-free plazas incorporating new offices; two purpose-built
transport hubs; two hotels; convenience shops; restaurants; cafes; a conference
centre; leisure facilities and a dedicated skills and training centre, called Slough
Aspire. The new plan also increases open space by 55 per cent.

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‘National Contractor’ Announced by UKTI for Inward Investment

Posted on 07/04/2011 by BCC LinkToChina

UK Trade & Investment announces new arrangements to support foreign investors

UK Trade & Investment yesterday signed a contract that will deliver new national inward investment arrangements.

The three year contract, which is worth £13.15 million for 2011/12 has been awarded to PA Consulting Group, in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce and OCO Consulting.

The new arrangements will take over the delivery of inward investment support from the Regional Development Agencies in England.

Acting Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment Susan Haird said: “Attracting and retaining foreign direct investment is vital to the UK. Last year UK Trade and Investment helped to attract 759 new investment projects that generated nearly 48,000 jobs.

“The new framework will be a vital part of improving the experience for companies wishing to invest in the UK. It will harness valuable private sector skills whilst at the same time further strengthening the important link with local communities and business. The British Chambers of Commerce will be an important part of that.”

The new contract will cover all of England, excluding London, which has its own inward investment arrangements, responsible to the Mayor. The new arrangements are expected to be in place by 1 May 2011.

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Chinese Investing in UK Seminar

Posted on 01/04/2011 by BCC LinkToChina

Promoting British Investment Locations, Projects and Professional Services at the Chinese investor event

Investing in UK Seminar
at China national investing overseas conference

 27-28 April 2011, Beijing

British Chambers of Commerce is launching in Beijing a new platform of business matchmaking which will make it easy for Chinese investors to do business in the UK.

Seizing the opportunities of China market, British Chambers of Commerce is launching a new regular and scheduled LinkToChina: UK-China Business Matchmaking service (www.linktochina.org) in partnership with CCPIT. With more than 15 Chinese provinces and cities involved as well as more than 10 UK prime cities and countries, BCC, LinkToChina and its Strategic Partners will take with them a number of projects from the UK to the conference for matchmaking.

For more information

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BCC LinkToChina

Posted on 20/03/2011 by BCC LinkToChina

The UK-China Business Matchmaking Project is operated the British Chambers of Commerce and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (The Chinese Chamber of International Commerce).

The project tackles long standing barriers for British firms in doing business with China, especially the lacks of quality information, specific trade and investment opportunity, in-market business support, low-cost solutions for high quality partnership building and easy access to professional services through a single portal.

LinkToChina provides direct, exclusive, translated, detailed, creditable, timely,  free or low-cost business opportunity for project match-making and to provide  in-market local support and solutions trade and investment partnership to members of and other businesses for BCC network in the UK and CCPIT network in China.

LinkToChina benefits British businesses working with China market in enabling projects in export, import, manufacturing, finance, technology cooperation, service industries, advanced engineering, low-carbon and clean fuel economy, and inward investment.

It is a business match-making platform for trade and investment projects directly between China and UK. The project enables SME the two chamber network to access specific project opportunities directly from businesses of the two markets in a regular basis. 

Business match-making is secured and managed for selected subscribers of the service in order to ensure commercial confidentiality and privacy.

15 Chinese cities and provinces will take part in the project through the CCPIT network of offices. The project offices will form a much needed local In-market Support for successfully matched partnerships and projects and subscribers of the project.

The two chamber networks will also use the LinkToChina platform to enable easy access and co-ordinate be-spoke and turn-key solutions to professional services and business services for Chinese companies and British companies when they do business in their partner’s countries.

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