Deputy Mayor of Liverpool city region Cllr Mike Wharton joins other regional UK leaders on Government-led trade mission to China. Tony McDonough reports
A week after Liverpool city region attended the MIPIM property and investment expo on the French Riviera it will also be represented on a UK trade mission to China.
Deputy Mayor of Liverpool city region Cllr Mike Wharton is joining other UK regional leaders on the trip which is organised by the Government. The delegation will visit three Chinese cities – Shenzhen, Chongqing and Chengdu.
Cllr Wharton will take the opportunity to showcase around £11bn of Liverpool city region projects to potential investors. They include Liverpool and Wirral Waters, Liverpool Knowledge Quarter, Festival Gardens and the Littlewoods Film Studios.
Organised by the UK Department for Business and Trade, the delegation will meet some of China’s biggest companies and Chinese regional politicians. China is already Liverpool City Region’s third largest goods export destination.
“As a great trading region with the oldest Chinese community in Europe, our links with China are both deep and enduring,” said Cllr Wharton.
“China is our third largest export destination for goods and, through our twinning with Shanghai, and extensive commercial and academic connections, including the Liverpool China Partnership, we are committed to strengthening that historic relationship.
“With £11bn of investment-ready projects, this mission is a vital opportunity for us to showcase the Liverpool City Region as an exceptional place to invest and do business, as we work to boost our local economy for the benefit of our residents.”
This mission is part of Liverpool city region’s drive to increase foreign direct investment by 25% by the end of the decade, to create more high-quality jobs, better training opportunities, and stronger businesses.
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Liverpool is home to Europe’s oldest Chinese community, which has been an important part of life in the city since the first Chinese immigrants arrived at its port in 1834.
The city has been twinned with Shanghai since 1999 and over the years, the Liverpool – Shanghai sister city relationship has facilitated partnerships across multiple sectors including ports, tourism, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.
Liverpool city region has also formed strategic partnerships with Chinese cities including Kunming, Tianjin, Qingdao and Xian in specific areas.