China to make up quarter of foreign delegations for UK business gathering

LIVERPOOL, Britain - Chinese companies make up a quarter of the foreign delegations to take part in the International Festival for Business (IFB) held this year in the northwestern British port of Liverpool, organizers said Saturday.

"Our target had been for Chinese companies to account for 20 percent of the delegations," Chris Heyes, head of the international section of IFB 2016, told Xinhua.

"We have been surprised by the variety of businesses coming to Liverpool from China," he said.

The 25 Chinese delegations comprise executives from more than 200 companies, with plans to promote trade and business opportunities for Shanghai, Kunming and Hong Kong particularly.

The three-week event to kick off Monday is expected to attract more than 30,000 global business people from some 180 countries and regions to be represented by a total of 97 foreign delegations.

Heyes expects the business gathering to help boost bilateral trade between China and Britain, saying that "it is the perfect vehicle for Chinese companies eager to invest in Liverpool" and will help "British companies wanting to expand their operations into China."

"We will do this with expert sessions, talks, demonstrations, networking, with opportunities for British companies to meet experts in Chinese law and accountants specializing in business deals with Chinese companies," he said.

"Nowhere else are business people able to have all of these facilities at one time in one location," he noted.

IFB serves as a core part of the British government's efforts to boost exports and increase investment inflows, key to the Northern Powerhouse project focused on promoting economic growth in the North of England.