On May 13th, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province held the ‘Guangdong Time Honored Brand Economic and Trade Promotion Conference’, sharing Guangdong’s historic brands in London.
This promotion event gathered representatives from the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, leaders of Guangdong’s time-honored enterprises, and representatives of British businesses investing in Guangdong. It aimed to strengthen the economic and trade ties between Guangdong Province and the United Kingdom, and jointly explore new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
The aim of the trade conference was to promote Guangdong time-honoured brands in the UK. Time-honored brands are a title bestowed by China’s Ministry of Commerce to brands that have a long history in China.
The conference took place at the National Liberal Club, a private members’ club in Central London, founded in 1882 by former Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.
Held on the morning of May 13th, visitors were welcomed with an introductory video showcasing Guangdong. The economic statistics, delicious food, dragon boat racing, and manufacturing might. This was followed by a performance of traditional Chinese music, filling the National Liberal Club with the sounds of China.
Followed by speeches from Mr He Jun (Deputy Director of Guangdong Department of Commerce), Mr Andrew Seaton (Honorary Vice President China Britain Business Council), and representatives of Guangdong businesses.
Mr He Jun explained that they organised this event in the “hope that we can help our British friends learn more about Guangdong time-honored brands and experience the charm of Guangdong culture.”
He also added, “I believe these promotional events will help us to find more common ground and a brighter prospect of future cooperation.”
At the conference, Byron Constable emphasised how important it is for British businesses to operate in China. He is the CEO of Duelstone, which operates in Guangdong. For him, the value wasn’t just in the potential market in China, but what could be learned there. Gaining experience in a country that moves as fast as China allows them to be one step ahead of competitors back in the UK.
He said: “I would encourage any British brand to open offices in China, particularly in Shenzhen. Not just to gain market share in China, but to gain experience.”
After speeches, there was an opportunity to try out some of Guangdong’s time-honored brands. Finally, a networking opportunity over light food for lunch. The many Guangdong time-honored brands present at the conference included Guangzhou Restaurant Group, Guangzhou Time-Honored Brands Investment Holding, Yangjiang Shibazi Group, Guangdong Fudonghai Pharmaceutical, and Guangdong Jiajiamei Biotechnology.
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