Nottinghamshire firms and organisations have announced deals and partnerships which will help growth in the East Midlands, during the visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the UK. These deals mark the next steps in the growing commercial relationship between the UK and China. 

The Prime Minister, David Cameron said:

"China's economic progress is creating huge opportunities for the UK. As our economies become increasingly complementary, the UK has the goods and services, experience and skills to match China's ambition to move up the value chain.

"Since my visit last November UK exports of goods to China have increased by more than a fifth and I'm delighted that today's summit has seen new deals signed worth another £1.4billion. Building on this trade and investment will mean jobs, growth and prosperity for us all."

Peter Hogarth, International Trade Director for UK Trade & Investment East Midlands, based in Nottingham, said:

"China is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, offering huge opportunities to companies of all sizes across the East Midlands. The deals and partnerships announced this week show that we really do have the skills, products and services locally to work with China, helping our local economy grow."

During the summit Newark-based Benoy announced four new contracts for infrastructure projects worth over £10million for the company.

The University of Nottingham announced an agreement with AVIC subsidiary, Commercial Aircraft Engine Co, Ltd (ACAE) to set up a new research and development centre at the University of Nottingham to work collaboratively on improving the fuel efficiency and environmental performance of aircraft to reduce carbon emissions.

Professor Chris Rudd, The University of Nottingham's Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Knowledge Transfer and Business Engagement, said:

"Aerospace is a truly global industry with most passenger growth developing in the Asia Pacific region. This agreement demonstrates the attention given to aerospace as a high-priority area of research at The University of Nottingham. The UK has the world's second largest aerospace industry (after the US). It is key to the prosperity of the UK and a major source of high quality manufacturing and engineering jobs, so continuing to play a role in the aerospace sector globally is important. This investment by AVIC recognises the excellence of UK R&D in aerospace, and Nottingham's world-class reputation."

The University of Nottingham announced a Memorandum of Understanding with New Hope Group, which will strengthen ties to the two organisations in the agri-food sector, leading to the establishment of partnership agreements for knowledge transfer, collaborative research, training and education. With annual sales of around $6.5billion, New Hope Group is the leading agri-business operator in China, with more than 380 subsidiaries and over 60,000 employees, as well as overseas operation.

Following successful discussions between both governments, five plants have been given the green light to export pork products to China, representing a potential £25million-a-year boost to the UK industry. UK pig breeders continue to benefit from the UK-China Swine Protocol signed by Vince Cable, Business Secretary, last autumn, with JSR genetics signing a deal worth more than £1million to supply breeding pigs to China. An agreement that poultry exports can restart sees the resumption of trade, worth around £10million a year, which will help to safeguard UK jobs and livelihoods. 

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said:

"Working with China, which is growing in global importance daily, is hugely important for the future of the UK economy. We have world leading science, innovation and research in the UK and our relationship with China is vital to help us achieve our shared goals - economic growth, job creation and prosperity and growing successful companies."

The Prime Minister David Cameron also announced that the Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Stephen Green, will lead a formal dialogue between UK Trade & Investment and China's National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) as part of a UK-NDRC Ministerial Exchange on Economic Growth & Cooperation. The NDRC is responsible for developing and implementing China's Five-Year Plan as well as much business regulation, including that related to inward investment. This new dialogue is intended to improve trading links and to increase bilateral trade. It will be held alongside the existing high-level UK-China Economic & Financial Dialogue, which is expected to take place in London in autumn 2011.

Today's deals and announcements signal that many UK companies of all sizes are already succeeding in China. In order to showcase existing opportunities for small and medium-sized firms, UK Trade and Investment also announced today that a competition will shortly be launched to generate case studies of UK SME successes, in China and across Asia, as part of its Asia Taskforce campaign.