China Regional Cities Network
Extending UK understanding and influence into China’s key regional economies, building ties with local governments and supporting UK businesses.
The Regional Cities Network brings together more than 20 officers operating out of the Embassy in Beijing and Consulates General in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan. These officers are dedicated to building the UK’s relationships with provinces where the UK has no bricks-and-mortar representation. The combined population of these provinces is 1097m (2010) and the combined GDP $9.1trn (2013).
The Regional Cities Network aims are to understand the dynamics – political, social and economic – of these enormous and highly diverse regions and their major cities; to influence their governments and people so that the UK both contributes to and benefits from their growth; and to help UK businesses expand into these huge new markets. We engage through official meetings, capacity building projects, high level visits and public diplomacy, in places and on subjects where we see the strongest overlap between local needs and UK strengths.
Over the last two years we have worked on issues as diverse as financial services; health and social care; water resources; clean energy; science and innovation; and eco-tourism, as well as organising high profile British weeks in Shenyang and Kunming.
Below are the officers in the China Regional Cities Network with their specific areas of focus. They can be contacted through the shared mailbox china.regionalcities@fco.gov.uk (please use “For the attention of…” in the subject line) or through the general enquiries number of the Embassy/Consulate General from which they operate.