UK government and business in push for China trade

George Osborne is one of the ministers seeking to improve trade links Continue
reading the main story
Changing ChinaShould the world fear Chinese growth?
China's 12th five-year plan
China beefs up military spending
Viewpoint: High-tech arms race?
A UK government and trade mission to China is the "largest and most high
powered" visit to the country from a UK delegation, Chancellor George Osborne
has said.
On Tuesday Prime Minster David Cameron will join the trip designed to ramp up
business with China.
The chancellor, Business Secretary Vince Cable and Energy Secretary Chris
Huhne have already held talks.
About 50 UK business leaders are also on the trip.
Mr Osborne told the BBC that this was not a new chapter in British relations
with China.
But he said the country had reached a stage in its development where it was
"more likely to want the things which Britain is good at".
These included financial services, insurance and luxury goods, he added.
'Important'
As well as trying to boost business, Mr Cameron will also raise the issue of
China's human rights record.
The visit is the prime minister's second major trip to an emerging economy
since taking power.
It follows a high-profile visit to India in July.
Mr Cameron's office said he would challenge China on its human rights record,
but was not specific about which subjects he would raise.
Mr Osborne said that discussions about human rights had been going on for
many years but added it was "not the only thing we talk to the Chinese about".
"Our economic relationship is an incredibly important and strong one," he said.
Trade deals
Mr Cameron's coalition government has made broadening global trade links a
priority, with particular emphasis on the fast-growing developing markets
typified by China and India, both of whose economies are growing strongly.
Currently, exports to China, although growing fast, are relatively small
compared with other markets. For example, the UK exports twice as much to
the Irish Republic than to China.
Our current account deficit with China is by far the largest deficit we have with
any trading partner Robert Peston Business editor, BBC News

The BBC's business editor, Robert Peston, points out that the trade gap with
China is substantial.
"In 2009 we sold 8.7bn of tangibles and intangibles to China, and we bought
three times as much, 25.8bn, from the Chinese," he says.
"Although over 10 years our sales of goods and services to China have
increased by a seemingly healthy 4.6 times, imports have risen by a far greater
multiple, 6.6 times."
Business Secretary Vince Cable said China had huge potential.
"There are about 15 business deals that the group are working their way
through today, you know everything from coal gasification technology to
architects to an auto-collaboration to work with Tesco and agreements between
University College London and Chinese universities," he said.
Among those taking part in the visit are executives from companies including
Rolls-Royce, Barclays and Diageo.
Some deals have already been announced.
The business secretary earlier signed an agreement that will allow the export of
British breeding pigs to China, home to half of the world's pig population.
That deal - and future business stemming from the agreement - is valued at
about 45m to the British pig industry over the next five years.
AdvertisementVince Cable told the BBC's Robert Peston he will be working
toward productive trade deals
The Chinese and British authorities also reached a deal to ensure only whisky
produced in Scotland will be marketed in China as Scotch, a move some
estimate will increase sales by tens of millions of pounds.
Some of the other deals include:
three multi-million pound contracts with a fee value of more than 4m for
London-based architects and designers Benoy
an agreement between Clyde Blowers and Yima Coal Industry Group to supply
coal injection technology for three gasifiers - a deal worth 2m
machine maker Group Rhodes is signing a contract with Xinhang, a second-tier
supplier to the Chinese aerospace industry, worth 1,850,000.
France has already secured 16bn worth of deals with China following a visit by
Chinese president Hu Jintao last week.
Robert Peston asked Vince Cable if the UK would get anything like that much
business.
Mr Cable said he was not chasing any particular figure: "We're not trying to
compete with the French to produce some big number that may or may not
mean anything.
"I do know there are a lot of very productive investments from deals that are
under discussion."