Insights | British Ambassador to China expresses 'a very, very strong interest by UK companies in building their ties with China'

From September 8 to 11, 2025, the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) was held in Xiamen, Fujian Province.

As the Guest Country of Honor, the United Kingdom brought more than 100 well-known companies, including AstraZeneca and Haleon, marking the largest-ever UK participation at CIFIT and setting a new record for the fair by a single country.

The event coincided with the visit of Peter Kyle, the UK’s newly appointed Secretary of State for Business and Trade, who is in Beijing to attend the first meeting of the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission in seven years. What signals do these intensive moves by the UK convey? To find out, China News Service spoke with Peter Wilson CMG, British Ambassador to China.