From May 21st to 24th, 2026, the 8th Western China International Investment and Trade Fair (hereinafter referred to as the "WCIFIT") was successfully held in Chongqing. Nearly 1,400 enterprises and institutions from 50 countries and regions participated, attracting a total of 72,000 visitors. 212 major projects were signed, with formal contracts exceeding 150 billion yuan. This year's WCIFIT invited the UK as the guest of honor, sending its largest business delegation to Western China in recent years. The UK also set up a national pavilion of over 600 square meters and held a series of economic and trade exchange activities, including the UK-China (Chongqing) Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Conference. On such a high-profile international economic and trade stage, the UK's deep participation as the guest of honor provided an excellent window into the overall picture of Sino-British business cooperation.
I. Background of Cooperation: A Deepening Economic and Trade Foundation
In recent years, Sino-British economic and trade cooperation has maintained a steady growth trend. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce of China, the total value of Sino-British trade in goods and services exceeded US$130 billion in 2024, with an average of US$360 million in goods and services traded between the two countries every day. As of July 2025, the UK's cumulative actual investment in China exceeded US$35 billion, while China's direct investment stock in the UK exceeded US$32 billion. More than 13,000 British companies have been established in China. Currently, the UK is China's third-largest trading partner, investment destination, and source of foreign investment in Europe, while China is the UK's largest trading partner in Asia.
The cooperation between Chongqing and the UK is a microcosm of Sino-British economic and trade exchanges. Data from Chongqing Customs shows that in 2025, Chongqing's imports and exports to the UK totaled RMB 12.99 billion, a year-on-year increase of 25.7%; in the first quarter of 2026, Chongqing's imports and exports to the UK totaled RMB 2.96 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12.4%. Currently, more than 110 British companies have established themselves in Chongqing.
II. Cooperation History: From Establishment of Diplomatic Relations to Comprehensive Deepening The deepening of Sino-British economic and trade cooperation has always resonated with the development of bilateral relations. In 1972, China and the UK established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, at which time the trade volume between the two countries was only US$300 million. Over the following decades, bilateral trade continued to climb: by 2025, bilateral trade in goods between China and the UK reached US$103.7 billion, trade in services is expected to exceed US$30 billion, and the stock of two-way investment is nearly US$68 billion.
From 2025 to 2026, the UK served as the guest of honor at the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo, and the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade. In January 2026, during British Prime Minister Starmer's visit to China, China and the UK reached export and investment agreements worth billions of pounds, with Chinese companies committing to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in the UK and establishing new partnerships with British companies.
III. Economic Complementarity: A Natural Foundation for Industrial Synergy
The complementarity of the Chinese and British economies provides ample room for cooperation. The UK has deep expertise in financial services, high-end manufacturing, life sciences, and creative industries; China, on the other hand, possesses strong capabilities in manufacturing scale, digital economy applications, and clean energy equipment.
Taking green energy as an example, in 2025, China and the UK signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the China-UK Clean Energy Partnership, explicitly listing offshore wind power and other areas as key areas of bilateral cooperation. In September of the same year, a landmark cooperation between China and the UK in the new energy sector was launched—Mingyang Smart Energy and Octopus Energy of the UK officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement, planning to use Chinese wind turbines in up to 6 gigawatts (GW) of wind power projects to jointly promote the accelerated development of onshore wind power in the UK. In the field of renewable electricity trading, in early 2026, Octopus Energy of the UK and Bicheng Energy of China jointly established Bitong Energy, planning to conduct renewable electricity trading and optimization in the Chinese spot market. In the field of artificial intelligence, China and the UK held multiple rounds of industrial cooperation dialogues in 2025 and 2026 respectively, continuously deepening cooperation.
IV. Mutual Influence: Win-Win Effects of Cooperation
For China, China-UK economic and trade cooperation has injected international resources and cutting-edge technologies into the development direction of "New Western Development, New Manufacturing, and New Services." At this year's Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT), British companies showcased their products and solutions focusing on green infrastructure and smart manufacturing, which aligns closely with the industrial transformation needs of Chongqing and even western China.
For the UK, the Chinese market offers enormous export opportunities and investment returns. Data shows that China is the UK's third-largest trading partner, and Sino-British trade supports 370,000 British jobs.
V. Looking to the Future: A New Journey of Two-Way Cooperation From the national to the local level, from traditional trade to emerging industries, the breadth and depth of Sino-British business cooperation are constantly expanding. In the future, with the continued deepening of western China's opening-up, the steady progress of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the continuous strengthening of Sino-British cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as green transformation, artificial intelligence, and life sciences, the scope for business cooperation between the two countries will further expand. The Hull College, a joint venture between Chongqing Technology and Business University and the University of Hull, was approved by the Ministry of Education in 2025 and plans to begin enrollment in 2026. Sino-British cooperation is extending from the economic and trade fields to multiple dimensions such as education.
Against the backdrop of deepening economic globalization and regional cooperation, China and the UK will continue to uphold the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results, writing a new chapter of cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, finance, and other fields. The UK Pavilion at the Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) serves as a new landmark in this journey—witnessing the deep foundation between the two sides and foreshadowing even greater possibilities.
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