On 19 September, Peter Wilson CMG, British Ambassador to China, joined the China (Anhui)–UK Economic and Trade Cooperation Roundtable in Hefei, Anhui Province, ahead of the opening of the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention (WMC).
British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai Executive Director Stuart Dunn also joined the exchange, together with Strategic Advisor Vicky Lord, Managing Partner at Harneys, and Andrew Starforth, Chair of BritCham Shanghai’s Advanced Engineering, Manufacturing & Life Sciences Committee and Operations Director at Anemoi Marine.
9 月 19 日，英国驻华大使魏磊在安徽省合肥市出席中国（安徽）— 英国经贸合作圆桌会，该会议于 2026 世界制造业大会开幕前夕举办。
上海英国商会执行会长邓斯图也参与了本次交流。一同出席的还有商会战略顾问、Harneys律师事务所上海代表处管理合伙人罗孝琪以及上海英国商会先进工程制造与生命科学委员会主席、Anemoi Marine运营总监Andrew Starforth。
Held as part of the WMC programme, the exchange brought together government and business representatives from Anhui and the UK to discuss opportunities for cooperation, with a focus on manufacturing, green energy and the international expansion of Anhui businesses.
The event was attended by Anhui Vice Governor Sun Yong and senior representatives from the Anhui Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Industry and Information Technology and Department of Commerce.
Representatives from leading manufacturing companies in Anhui, including Chery Automobile, JAC Motors, Gotion High-Tech, Bethel Automotive Safety Systems, Conch Group and Tongling Nonferrous Metals, also took part in the exchange.
In his remarks, Stuart highlighted the growing importance of Anhui for international businesses, particularly given the province’s development in advanced manufacturing and the new energy vehicle sector. He noted that Chinese manufacturing is going through an important period of transformation, while many Chinese companies are also looking to expand their presence in international markets.
“I think it doesn’t start with industry, it starts at the top. And I think today’s roundtable is a perfect example of that, making sure that our governments aligned on our ambitions, being honest and sharing the opportunities” — Stuart told Anhui Daily during an interview.
Stuart also highlighted the role that the UK’s financial and professional services sector can play in supporting Chinese companies with international investment, market entry and overseas operations.
The 2026 WMC was held in Hefei from 20 to 23 September under the theme “Intelligent Manufacturing for a Better Future”.
The conference brings together more than 1,000 guests from around the world, with over 500 international representatives, and features activities covering intelligent connected new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, next-generation information technology and other emerging and future industries. The UK is serving as the Guest Country of Honour at this year’s conference.
