Chinese Enterprises Expand in the UK: Tou Ying Tracker Report
The Grant Thornton 2020 Tou Ying Tracker, developed in collaboration with CCCUK (China Chamber of Commerce in the UK) and China Daily, identifies the fastest-growing Chinese companies in the UK.
To compile the 2020 Tou Ying Tracker, Grant Thornton identified all Chinese-owned companies that have filed an audited revenue figure of at least £1,000 at Companies House in at least one of the last two financial years to 30 September 2020, and that are at least 50% owned by a Chinese corporate, investor or national. This year, 838 such companies were identified. This compares with 795 in 2019.
Together, the 838 companies have combined revenues of £92 billion (up from £91 billion in 2019) and report overall revenue growth of 12% (down from 17% in 2019). Between them, they employ almost 75,240 people (up from 71,000 in 2019).
These 838 companies represent only a fraction of Chinese companies doing business in the UK. In total, over 15,000 companies were identified that are part of a China-owned corporate group or are majority held by a Chinese national, up from some 13,000 last year.