UK to showcase innovation at first China import expo

British companies are gearing up to showcase their strengths at China's first-ever international import expo in Shanghai next month, in an effort to hedge against uncertainties as the UK leaves the European Union.

Flagship British brands well established in China, such as Jaguar Land Rover, British Airways and HSBC, will take the lead alongside small-and-medium enterprises looking to test the waters in China for the first time.

China International Import Expo, also known as CIIE, runs from Nov 5 to Nov 10. The UK is one of 12 countries of honor at the expo.

"CIIE demonstrates China's desire to further open up its markets, increase trade, and encourage Chinese consumers and businesses to buy more products and services from across the globe. The UK is the ideal partner in these objectives," said Richard Burn, the UK's Trade Commissioner to China.

"There really has never been a better time for the UK and China to work together and trade more," Burn said, on Monday, just as the British government unveiled its grand plans for the UK Pavilion for the first time.

With a big focus on innovation, the UK Pavilion will feature many futuristic technologies. The London-based Hypervsn will showcase an augmented reality mirror that lets users meet, interact and even take their photo with famous animated characters. Inition, another London-based technology companies, will showcase a visual reality system that allows visitors to experience a 360-degree 3D video and audio journey that transports visitors into a live orchestra performance.

John Edwards, British consul-general in Shanghai, said innovation is a "distinct feature" for Britain, therefore allowing visitors to experience and enjoy these innovative technologies is an important consideration behind the design of the UK Pavilion.

In addition to technology, other sectors with strong British representation include healthcare and life sciences, financial and professional services, education, creative industries, consumer goods, food and agriculture products, aviation and aerospace, automotive, AI and big data.

UK-China trade reached a record 67.5 billion pounds ($89 billion) in 2017, a 15 percent increase from 2016. More significantly, UK exports to China grew by 28.5 percent in 2017 to reach 22.3 billion pounds, according to British government statistics.

This encouraging growth is partly supported by the British government's efforts to encourage British companies to grow their China links to hedge against Brexit-related uncertainties.

The fact that Burn was the first of nine Trade Commissioners appointed for the UK's overseas markets shows the significance of China from the British government perspective. Meanwhile, the government agency UK Export Finance has committed 25 billion pounds of funding to support British exports to countries along the Belt and Road trade routes, which impacts almost 70 countries globally.

During British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to China in February, the UK and China agreed on 9 billion pounds worth of business deals.

These government initiatives are already fueling business activities, said William Franklin, chairman of the China Investors Club, a business association. "We're now seeing a trend of many British healthcare, biotechnology, advanced engineering and education companies expanding into China for the first time, as they recognize their expertise is compatible with China's goal of upgrading into a knowledge economy," Franklin said.

"Many of our member companies in these sectors are looking to use CIIE as an opportunity to understand China's business and regulatory environment, so they can set up subsidiaries or joint venture partnerships in China soon after," he said.