10.07.19
Midlands to host prestigious UK-China Regional Leaders’ summit
The Midlands has been chosen to host the prestigious UK-China Regional Leaders’ Summit, the “most significant Anglo-Chinese event ever to be hosted by the region.”
Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace said the national summit, which will be held in late November in Birmingham, is a “great honour for the Midlands” and is a “clear endorsement of the great work that the region has done to develop strategic connections across China.”
A complementary programme of fringe events will be held alongside the main event which will create considerable opportunities for Midlands’ businesses, education organisations and citizens.
The foreign secretary awarded the summit to the region following a bid from the Midlands Engine which received widespread backing from the communities secretary James Brokenshire, a host of regional leaders, universities and the East Midlands Chamber.
Beating its main rival bid for the summit from Scotland, Midlands Engine said it had has led delegations to build strong and thriving regional relationships with China over the last three years.
It stated that China has been identified as a key market for the Midlands to develop trade links in support of its post-Brexit agenda, with the Midlands Engine China strategy being launched in 2017,
Peace added: “We were up against strong competition to secure the summit which will be the most significant Anglo-Chinese event ever to be hosted by the region. It will put us in a great position to make a strong relationship even stronger.
“This will be the start of a new and exciting chapter for the Midlands and its links with China. If we get it right, the legacy will be huge.”