CBBC Celebrates 50-Years of UK-China Ambassadorial Relations
The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) marked the 50-year anniversary of UK-China Ambassadorial Relations with a dinner reception at the InterContinental Hotel Sanlitun on 21 March in Beijing.
The dinner brought together the British and Chinese Government and business communities to celebrate the long-standing relationship between the UK and China. During the evening our speakers looked back on the last 50-years while sharing their reflections on the importance of the relationship today and into the future. The dinner was originally scheduled to take place last year but was delayed to March 2023 due to challenges with zero covid.
CBBC was joined by both former and current Ambassadors from the UK and China including British Ambassador to China Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, H.E. Mme. FU Ying, Former Chinese Ambassador to the UK, and H.E. Mr. LIU Xiaoming, Former Chinese Ambassador to the UK. Also in attendance were senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and China’s Investment Promotion Agency in addition to over 200 attendees from across Government and business.
Welcome Note
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles Chair, CBBC
Thank you for your leadership in nurturing and promoting ever close ties between the United Kingdom and China, a relationship which has brought so much benefit for both our two countries over the past 50 years. Across the board, be it in terms of trade, people to people exchanges, cooperation in combating climate change or innovation to develop the technologies of tomorrow.
Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, HMA Ambassador
Mutually beneficial trade and investment does not just refer to commercial benefit. But also, this is about a contribution to advancing common global goods and tackling global challenges. I would like to thank the China-Britain Business Council for organising this wonderful event, and for gathering such an impressive and inspiring group of people who I know are all incredibly committed to tackling the challenges and driving forward this economic relationship.
ZHANG Shaogang, Vice Chairman of CCPIT
We will continue to work with partners such as the China-Britain Business Council to build more high-quality platforms and provide more precise services for business exchanges between China and the UK, promote pragmatic cooperation between companies of the two countries in a larger scope, wider fields and deeper levels, and strive to make greater contributions to China-UK friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Welcome Note from Sponsors
During the event, representatives from the dinner sponsors extent their wishes on the key milestone achieved in UK-China relations.
Remarks were provided by: Jakob Stausholm, CEO, Rio Tinto; Pascal Soriot, CEO, AstraZeneca; Simon Yang, bp Group SVP, bp China President; Brian McNamara, CEO, Haleon; Mark Wang, President & CEO, HSBC China; Jolyon Bulley, CEO, IHG Greater China; Qing PAN, Member of the Board of Management, Jaguar Land Rover, President and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover China; Sir Sebastian Wood, Chairman, China, Schroder Plc; Jerry Zhang, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, China; Cluster Chief Executive Officer (China & Japan), Standard Chartered; Ivan Menezes, CEO, Diageo.
Closing Remarks
Lord James Sassoon, President, CBBC
British business has been operating very successfully in China for a lot longer than 50 years, some of you for more than 150 years. And of course we at the China-Britain Business Council have been out on the ground in China for a lot more than 50 years. And CBBC will continue to work very hard with your support to make sure that we open up the great opportunities in this market for 50 years and more.
CBBC would like to extend its sincere thanks to our diamond sponsors AstraZeneca, bp, Diageo, Haleon, HSBC, IHG, Jaguar Land Rover, Rio Tinto, Schroders, Standard Chartered; gold sponsors Jardines; in-kind sponsors AHDB, Taylors.
CBBC will hold a second dinner to mark the 50-year anniversary in Shanghai on Tuesday 28 March with around 200 guests expected to attend from across the British and Chinese Government and business community.