ABP molds old UK port into office hub

Chinese developer hopes to make business park key for bilateral trade

Chinese developer ABP held a "topping out" ceremony in East London on Thursday to mark the completion of the first buildings in the company's 1.7-billion-pound ($2.2 billion) Asian Business Park, which aims to act as a gateway to the United Kingdom for Chinese businesses.

Beijing-based ABP broke ground on the major development at the Royal Albert Dock on the Thames river last April. It is expected to have 58,993 square meters of commercial office space by the spring of 2019.