British companies seeking Chinese partnerships

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A British business delegation accompanying Prime Minister Theresa May to China next week is looking for growth opportunities in the world's second largest economy, a senior representative said.

Guy Dru Drury, the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) chief representative in China, told CGTN that UK firms have already been seeing "huge opportunities."

"I think we are finding particularly in the last year or two healthcare, life sciences seeing really great opportunities," he said. "We are very excited with the delegations coming to China next week, a great selection of companies reflecting the breadth and depth of the British economy.

Guy Dru Drury, China, NE & SE Asia chief representative of the Confederation of British Industry. /China.com Photo

Guy Dru Drury, @ CBI’s Beijing Office. /CGTN Photo

"In terms with the environmental issues, some of our business wants to lower the barriers in the level of playing field. But equally, the size of the opportunity in the long term will drive British growth into China. For instance exports to China only represent 3.1 percent of UK overall global exports, so fundamentally there’s a huge opportunity for growth."

The CBI has been operating in China for 11 years now. Drury says the organisation's core message remains the same – to act as a platform and a bridge between the two countries and to help British companies seeking opportunities in China and Chinese companies trying crack into the UK.