The 8th China-UK Economic and Trade Forum was held in London on Wednesday, bringing together around 350 representatives from government, business, finance and academia to explore new opportunities for bilateral cooperation amid a changing global landscape.

Held at Merchant Taylors' Hall under the theme "United in Momentum, Deepening Collaboration for a Shared Future", the forum was hosted by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK), with support from the Chinese Embassy in the UK and the UK Department for Business and Trade, alongside several leading British institutions.

The event came against the backdrop of renewed high-level engagement between China and the UK, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China earlier this year, as well as fresh policy signals from China's "two sessions" and the rollout of the 15th Five-Year (2026-2030) Plan.

Keynote speakers said that the war in the Middle East brings more challenges amid fierce global headwinds, noting that rising turbulence of the world makes it all the more important for China and the UK to strengthen cooperation.

"China is deeply concerned about the recent tensions in the Middle East. This is a war that should not have happened, a war that does no one any good. Without the UN authorization, the United States and Israel attacked Iran in the process of the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiation, which clearly violates international law," said Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang.

In his keynote address, Zheng said business communities in both countries have long served as a driving force in advancing bilateral relations, while calling for greater efforts to translate leaders' consensus into tangible outcomes.

He said China's new development blueprint will bring fresh opportunities for global partners and inject new momentum into China-UK cooperation.

Speaking on behalf of the UK government, Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby stressed the importance of maintaining a stable and constructive economic relationship with China.

"Stability, so that firms can plan investment to fuel productivity and indeed to fuel jobs and reform to make our markets more dynamic and globally competitive," said Rigby, also Labour MP for Northampton North.

She said China remains a key contributor to global growth and an important partner for the UK, adding that sustained dialogue helps provide greater certainty for businesses. She also highlighted the role of practical cooperation, particularly in areas such as financial services, in supporting growth, innovation and job creation in both countries.

In her remarks, the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley, highlighted London's long-standing role as a global hub for trade and finance, noting that China-UK economic ties have deep historical roots and will continue to evolve.

"In a world of geopolitical turmoil, London and the UK remains an open, stable, well regulated global financial center," said Langley, noting that strengthening cooperation between the UK and China is not only beneficial to both sides, but also contributes to greater stability and resilience of the global economy.

The forum also featured two panel discussions focusing on new opportunities arising from China's development of "new quality productive forces" and on practical cooperation in areas such as advanced manufacturing, green transition and global market expansion.

"It's about talking to the UK, about the opportunities in China, persuading people to go to China to sit down and understand how to do business in China," said one attendee.

"I was absolutely fascinated to hear what everybody had to say about the state of Chinese-British trade relations," said another attendee.