'Serious engagement is back' delegates hear at China-UK export event

Backed by the world's largest middle-income group and a supersized market, China has enormous potential to further expand imports from the United Kingdom, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks at the Big Market for All: Export to China event in London, England, which was jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the UK's Department for Business and Trade.

The event brought together more than 300 people from various sectors of the Chinese and British political and business communities.

The Big Market for All: Export to China initiative, which was launched in Shanghai in November 2025, is part of China's broader push to broaden its opening-up, boost imports, and foster more balanced trade growth.

The UK was the first country to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation under the initiative and is also one of the featured countries in the 2026 series, Wang noted.

The Ministry of Commerce selects five to eight annual partner countries each year to organize more than 100 import promotion activities under the initiative.

The UK's services sector is well positioned to expand exports to the Chinese market, Wang noted.

In 2025, bilateral trade in goods reached $103.7 billion, while trade in services surpassed $30 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.