Secretary of State for Business and Trade hosts UK-China JETCO factsheet
Published 2 July 2026
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Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle co-chaired the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao at Mansion House on 2 July 2026. This follows the Prime Minister’s visit to China in January 2026, which pushed forward £2.2 billion in export deals and around £2.3 billion in market access opportunities for UK businesses over 5 years.
UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade used the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission to discuss a range of bilateral trade and investment issues. This included work to boost trade in services through the Bilateral Services Partnership and a review of progress on the Joint Feasibility Study on a potential Trade in Services Agreement.
Ministerial discussions also covered the full range of business environment and market access issues impacting UK and Chinese businesses. They discussed global trade tensions, priorities for World Trade Organization (WTO) reform and global economic imbalances.
Both sides acknowledged the importance of maintaining open dialogue on the national security implications of economic links. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade raised issues including rare earth export controls that impact global supply chains, as well as level playing field issues that undermine fair competition for UK businesses.
Review of JETCO Joint Working Groups
Both sides reviewed progress on a number of JETCO working groups including:
- WTO Working Group: The first working group took place in May 2026, which covered WTO reform and level playing field issues. The next working group will take place in 2027
- Trade Remedies Exchange: The first working group took place in November 2025, which covered trade remedies systems, processes and regulations. The next working group will take place in Autumn 2026
- Export Controls: The second working group met in May 2026, which covered approaches to export controls and opportunities to support transparent, timely, and proportionate measures
- Investment Working Group: The Investment Working Group met in April 2025. The next working group is planned later this year, to advance our bilateral investment relationship
- Trade in Services Working Group: The second working group took place in November 2025. This covered co-operation on services trade with a particular focus on professional services and addressing market access barriers. The next working group will take place in the latter half of the year
Trade in Services
Both sides reiterated that that bilateral services trade is a key area of focus in the bilateral relationship. Both sides:
- welcomed progress made in technical discussions, the latest of which were held on 30 June 2026 and 1 July 2026, on a Joint Feasibility Study to consider the potential to negotiate a bilateral Trade in Services Agreement. This in line with a Memorandum of Understanding agreed and signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to China in January 2026
- discussed a set of actions to deliver the Bilateral Services Partnership, with a focus on deepening co-operation in professional and business services. This includes:
- approaches to make progress on mutual recognition of (regulated) professional qualifications, as well as recognising the importance of progress on UK professional qualifications recognition at the provincial level in China
- approaches for co-operation between DBT and the Cyberspace Administration of China
- support for bilateral exchanges on the opening up of China’s legal services market with the relevant ministries
- the launch of a UK-China Professional and Business Services Matchmaking platform on 1 July 2026
Market access
Discussions covered market access issues affecting UK businesses’ ability to sell and operate in China, including challenges in the agricultural, automotive and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as digital trade and cross-border data flows.
Exports to China
Building on the Memorandum of Understanding signed during the Prime Minister’s visit, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade gave a keynote speech at an ‘Export to China’ event on 1 July 2026, attended by UK and Chinese businesses. The event promoted the opportunities for UK businesses to sell more goods and services to China.
He welcomed the establishment of the industry-led Trade Booster programme between CBBC, HSBC, ICBC and JD.com, which will help create new exporting routes for UK businesses to sell into China.
UK-China Business and Innovation Hub in Suzhou
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade welcomed the launch of the UK-China Business and Innovation Hub in the Suzhou New District, Jiangsu Province. The Hub will support two-way trade and investment, serving as a launchpad for UK businesses entering the Chinese market and for Chinese companies exploring opportunities in the UK. Both sides also discussed how to further optimise the business environment within the Hub to encourage greater UK business presence.
Economic and Financial Dialogue
Both sides committed to working together in preparation for the next Economic and Financial Dialogue.