BritCham Shanghai Strengthens Presence in East China with New Office in Hangzhou

The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai (BritCham Shanghai) announced the establishment of its new office in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, to drive mutual economic and business growth and enhance trade ties between the UK and East China.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the UK-Zhejiang Trade & Innovation Forum, which took place yesterday in Hangzhou with the attendance of a high-level delegation from both the UK and Zhejiang governments, including the British Ambassador to China Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, the British Consul-General in Shanghai Matthew John Burney CMG, Secretary of District Party Committee of Gongshu, Hangzhou Li Zhilong, and Member of the Standing Committee of District Party Committee & Executive Deputy District Mayor of Gongshu, Hangzhou Huang Fei, as well as British and Chinese business leaders including BritCham Shanghai Vice Chairs Kirsten Johnston and Ted Wan, and BritCham Shanghai Executive Director Stuart Dunn.

The agreement for the establishment of the Chamber’s new Hangzhou office spans three years and signifies a collaborative effort between BritCham Shanghai, Gongshu District, and HITEIP (Hangzhou International Talents Entrepreneurship Innovation Park). This pivotal partnership marks a significant milestone in the Chamber’s ongoing evolution and is integral to a broader strategy with key focuses on:

• Building a platform for Sino-British exchanges and creating a hub for the UK community in Zhejiang.
• Supporting local Chinese enterprises to cooperate with British businesses with shared expertise and to continue expanding their global footprint through a pilot associate membership programme.
• Promoting international education and exchange programmes; guiding and mentoring overseas returned talents for future continued career growth.

“The new Hangzhou Office hallmarks a new stage in the friendship and collaboration between the UK & Zhejiang. We anticipate this will increase the mutual economic and business growth and enhance trade ties between the UK and East China,” said Stuart Dunn, BritCham Shanghai Executive Director. “As the oldest business chamber in China mainland, the British Chamber Shanghai will enter its 109 years of foundation, with an office in Gongshu, Hangzhou, for the first time. For an organisation to exist for such a duration, it continually needs to evolve with the environment and trends while ensuring that guards and upholds its values.”

The second half of the Forum hosted a full house of attendees from various industry sectors to present the business overview of UK and Chinese companies in Zhejiang.

Ted Wan, BritCham Shanghai Vice Chair and President, Greater China, Smiths Group, addressed in his speech: “Hangzhou is the key firepower of China’s digital economies. In 2023, Hangzhou has 22 unicorn companies, ranks No.4 in China and No.7 globally. Attending British business delegates today range from both large and small-medium enterprises, and well represent the diverse industry sectors – energy, FMCGs, financial and equity investment, education, advanced engineering & manufacturing, bio & pharmaceuticals, creative industry, business services and consultancy. Many of them have established robust partnerships with Zhejiang and Hangzhou, including BE Education, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Smiths Group, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, University of Edinburgh, Wise and more.”

Other sessions held on the same day included a British Business Lunch, a Dinner Banquet and a Grand Canal Networking Reception.