A MAJOR delegation of Chinese businesses will arrive in the North later this month looking for new commercial partnerships in the Northern Powerhouse region.

Made up of members of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the China Chamber of Commerce UK (CCCUK), the delegation will be attending the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition in Manchester Central on February 21 and 22 and conducting meetings with business leaders from key Northern cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle.

The delegation’s presence at the two-day conference creates an opportunity for Northern businesses to meet the people directly responsible for Chinese investment in the North of England.

The team are particularly keen to meet growth businesses operating in the field of advanced manufacturing, healthcare and aerospace, but emphasise that there are opportunities for businesses from all sectors.

Minister Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Mr Xu JIN, who oversees Chinese investment in the Northern Powerhouse and the Director General of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Mr Ning LIN, will also be attending the event in Manchester.

As well as attending the first day of the international conference and exhibition, Mr Jin will be addressing local authority politicians at a VIP event on the eve of the conference to speak about the scale of Chinese investment in the Northern Powerhouse. He will discuss the huge potential the North of England has to drive new business collaboration with China, as well as reporting on the successful experience Chinese business is having so far engaging with the Northern Powerhouse.

To date, Manchester and Sheffield has been the focus of Chinese investment in the Northern Powerhouse area, but according to Minister Counsellor Jin the potential for future collaboration elsewhere in the region is huge.

He said: “The Northern Powerhouse offers major investment opportunities for China. Cities across the North of England all have deep culture and history in a variety of different sectors and industries, including creative, trade, telecommunications, healthcare, high-level manufacturing and R&D. China remains open to business opportunities with these sectors from across the region and we are eager to hear more from growing businesses who could benefit from Chinese partners. Now is the perfect time for the UK and China to collaborate, join forces and forge lasting trade relationships.”

Hailing Yu, China Business Advisor for the Northern Powerhouse at China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) has been working in collaboration with its new member company, UK Northern Powerhouse Ltd to facilitate greater participation by Chinese companies.

The UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition is supported by business leaders from across the major cities of the North. It will include interactive sessions with top firms such as Nissan, Yorkshire Bank and Stobart Group, as well as the Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors and Federation of Small Businesses. International delegations are expected from India, Australia, China and the US.

Topics being addressed during the conference include manufacturing, transport and infrastructure, finance and delivery, devolution, competitiveness and productivity and energy.

For further information or to book tickets to the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition visit www.uk-northern-powerhouse.com.

The UK Northern Powerhouse Conference and Exhibition is a private company and not part of the UK Government.