UK companies seeking larger role in China

Business council chief hails Chinese initiatives to attract foreign investment

There is significant untapped potential for cooperation in the areas of artificial intelligence, services and sports between China and the United Kingdom, with major British investments signaling deepening economic ties, Peter Burnett, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council, said.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Burnett said that bilateral business engagement has strengthened following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official visit to China in January — a trip he described as "really critical".

"We have seen, and will see more visits by UK government officials to China," Burnett said, adding, "Dialogue addresses frictions in trade and investment, but it also sends a strong message to the business community that we should be operating in China, and Chinese companies should be operating in the UK."