As an important measure to implement the policy outcome of the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, both sides support deepening the industry-led UK-China Industrial Cooperation Partnership (ICP), the seminar has built a communication platform for pragmatic cooperation between China and the UK in the field of digital industry.

Lewis Neal, HM Trade Commissioner, Department for Business & Trade (DBT), Li Li, Deputy Director of the Information Technology Development Department, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Zhu Gang, Deputy Director of Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation, MIIT, and Tom Simpson, Managing Director, China, China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), attended the meeting and delivered speeches. More than 60 representatives from Chinese and British enterprises and institutions participated in the meeting.

In 2018, the UK-China Industrial Cooperation Partnership (ICP) was jointly initiated by the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation, MIIT, the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) and the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) and was included as an important policy outcome in the joint statement of the 10th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in 2019. In January this year, Article 52 of the outcome document of the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue also clearly stated that both sides support deepening the UK-China Industrial Cooperation Partnership (ICP), led by industries.

To seize the opportunities in the development of the digital economy and deepen exchanges and cooperation in the digital sector between China and the UK, in 2023, the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation, MIIT and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), under the framework of the UK-China Industrial Cooperation Partnership (ICP) mechanism, jointly initiated the establishment of the Digital Economy Working Group together with Chinese and British enterprises such as RELX Group and Alibaba. Focusing on the development of the digital economy and digital transformation in China and the UK, it will play an important role as a platform and link in promoting pragmatic cooperation between the digital economy sectors of the two sides.