On 21st May the China-Britain Business Council’s Chinese Shakespeare Supper and UK-China Business Awards was held in London.
King’s College London, Silverstream, Clan Healthcare and the Royal Shakespeare Company were amongst the winners at the inaugural UK-China Business Awards.
Hosted at London’s UnderGlobe, the event featured a unique combination of Shakespearean and Chinese entertainment, networking and an awards ceremony celebrating the best of UK-China business, cultural and educational collaboration.
Highlights of the event included a drinks reception and a bilingual excerpt performed from a Midsummer Night’s Dream. There were also opportunities to win prizes. Several speeches were also given, including welcoming remarks from CBBC’s Chair Sir Sebastian Wood KCMG, a speech by the Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang and CBBC President, Lord Sassoon,
Businesses and organisations were shortlisted across eight different categories: Exporter of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Professional Advisory of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Graduate Employability Initiative of the Year, Cultural Partnership of the Year, Chinese Corporate in the UK, and UK Corporate in China.
Clan Healthcare won the award for Exporter of the Year, which was sponsored by Pilgrim’s Europe. This award celebrated UK companies that have demonstrated exceptional success in exporting to China. Clan Healthcare, founded in 2021 by Amy Duan, exports UK-manufactured supplements to China. Leveraging expertise in healthcare and biotech, it develops bespoke products for the Chinese market. Rapid growth, strong revenues, and regulatory approvals position it as a rising UK-China health and wellness exporter.
The Most Innovative Company of the Year award went to Silverstream. Silverstream Technologies is a London-based maritime clean-tech company specialising in hull air lubrication systems that reduce vessel fuel use and emissions by 5-10%. Working with China since 2016, it has built strong shipyard partnerships, established a Shanghai office, and secured over 150 vessels in service and many more on order.
The Professional Advisory of the Year award, sponsored by Invest HK, was won by PwC. PwC is a leading global professional services firm with 23,000 UK staff and 17,000 across Greater China. It has one of the longest established China Business Practices in the market, operating continuously for over 20 years.
The Marketing Campaign of the Year award went to the University of Glasgow. The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is a leading research institution and Russell Group member with a long-standing China relationship since the 19th century. It engages Chinese audiences through digital platforms, delivering high-impact marketing, student recruitment, and academic collaboration across Weibo, WeChat, Bilibili and Red Note.
The Graduate Employability Initiative of the Year award was won by King’s College London. With over 6,800 Chinese students, King’s has the fifth largest Chinese student population of any British university. It collaborates with Chinese universities, runs exchanges, and launched a joint medical school with SUSTech in Shenzhen. King’s also supports students through its Lau China Institute and Careers in China programme.
The award for Cultural Partnership of the Year celebrated partnerships that brings the UK and China closer together through the power of culture, the arts, the creative industries, and sport. The winner was Royal Shakespeare Company and Education in Motion. Through a decade-long partnership with Education in Motion, the Royal Shakespeare Company has engaged over 2,000 students annually across nine schools in China, delivering teacher training, artist residencies, and Shakespeare festivals.
Sponsored by ACCA, the award for Chinese Corporate in the UK spotlighted the efforts of Chinese companies which have made significant contributions to the UK economy and business community. The award went to Westwell – founded in 2015 in Shanghai, Westwell develops AI-driven autonomous logistics systems combining software and hardware.
Finally, Diageo won the award for UK Corporate in China. They are a global premium spirits leader with over 200 brands sold in 180 countries and have operated in China since 2002. With investments in a Shanghai R&D centre, a Shenzhen logistics hub, and a Yunnan distillery, it blends global expertise with local innovation, including baijiu.
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