Li Qian, the Party Secretary of Hongkou District, met with Jack Perry, Chairman of the UK 48 Group Club and Chairman of London Export Corporation, along with his delegation on December 5.
The two sides discussed deepening cooperation and achieving mutual development through collaboration.
The 48 Group Club, established in 1954, has long been committed to promoting China-UK economic and trade relations, as well as cultural exchanges.
The group holds significant influence in business, culture, and academia. It began with the London Export Corporation, which played a pivotal role in the signing of the first trade agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Western world. Today, the group has over 600 members.
Li Qian welcomed Perry and his delegation and emphasized that China is the UK's largest trading partner in Asia, with vast development prospects and immense cooperation potential.
Hongkou District has always placed great importance on engaging with international partners and is committed to creating an open, international business environment.
He noted that the 48 Group Club has made substantial contributions to advancing China-UK economic, trade, and cultural exchanges, and expressed hope that both parties could deepen practical cooperation in areas such as green and low-carbon technologies, artificial intelligence, trade, investment, education, and cultural exchanges.
Li further emphasized that through joint efforts, both sides could promote more UK enterprises to engage with and understand China, achieving common development through mutual benefit and injecting new vitality into China-UK economic cooperation.
Perry thanked Li Qian and the Hongkou District government for their warm reception and provided an overview of the 48 Group Club's recent activities in China.
He expressed that the 48 Group Club has always adhered to the spirit of being a "pioneer" in promoting China-UK economic cooperation.
Moving forward, the group plans to increase its investment in Hongkou, particularly in cutting-edge fields like renewable energy and artificial intelligence, aiming to contribute more to the high-quality development of Hongkou's economy.
Perry also emphasized the importance of maintaining close communication and cooperation to further advance China-UK economic relations.
The meeting was attended by Vice Director Chen Shuai, Jonathan Mitchell, Executive Director of the 48 Group Club and COO of London Export Corporation, and Wang Zining, Chief Representative of the 48 Group Club in China.