Region picked for UK-China leaders summit

The Midlands has been chosen to host the UK/China Regional Leaders’ Summit after forging strong relationships across the region with the country over recent years.

The national summit, the fifth to be held between the two countries, will be the “most politically significant” Anglo-Chinese event the region has ever held, organisers say.

The main event will be in Birmingham in late November with a complementary programme of fringe events across the wider region.

The foreign secretary awarded the summit to the region after a bid was submitted by the Midlands Engine that received widespread backing from central and regional government. The other main bid came from Scotland.

Over the last three years, the Midlands Engine has led delegations to build regional relationships with China.

Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace said: “I am delighted that we have been awarded the Regional Leaders’ Summit. This is a great honour for the Midlands and is a clear endorsement of the great work that the region has done to develop strategic connections across China.

“We were up against strong competition to secure the summit which will be the most significant Anglo-Chinese event ever to be hosted by the region. It will put us in a great position to make a strong relationship even stronger.

“This will be the start of a new and exciting chapter for the Midlands and its links with China. If we get it right, the legacy will be huge.”

China has been identified as a key market for the Midlands Engine to develop trade links in support of its post-Brexit internationalisation agenda. China has the second largest economy in the world and it is growing at 6%.

In October 2017, the Midlands Engine China strategy was launched which identifies five priority sectors to secure growth in trade and investment.

A major objective of the China strategy is to build and nurture the region’s existing relationships that include six province partnership agreements and 10 sister city relationships.

The Midlands’ bid to host the summit included backing from James Brokenshire MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the East Midlands Chamber, universities, airports and all of the main regional leaders.

The bid also received letters of support from some of the provinces the Midlands is already connected with (Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guizhou and Hunan).