Gou Ping, Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), met with British Ambassador to China Caroline Wilson in Beijing on April 28.
Both sides acknowledged that the successful meeting between the heads of state of the two countries has set the course for the development of Sino-UK relations and injected strong momentum into bilateral ties.
During the meeting, Gou said that SASAC attaches great importance to cooperation with the UK. Many central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) of China have been deeply involved in the British market, achieving fruitful results in the fields of energy and resources, economic and trade cooperation, industrial investment, and information technology services.
In recent years, SASAC, with focus on “dual-advancements” of both traditional industries and strategic emerging industries, has been working to promote central SOEs to accelerate technological innovation, vigorously develop new quality productive forces, and speed up the development of strategic emerging industries and industries of the future, while pushing for the upgrading of traditional industries.
Such efforts will create more opportunities for cooperation between Chinese central SOEs and British companies, Gou said.
Wilson recognized the achievements of China’s central SOEs in reform and development, noting that China and the UK have broad common interests.
She expressed her willingness to maintain close communication with SASAC, and continuously promote dialogue between government departments and enterprises from both countries to enhance mutual understanding and deepen cooperation.
Following the meeting, Gou and Wilson attended the Workshop on Technology-Driven Green Transition of UK-China Enterprises, which was jointly hosted by SASAC and the British Embassy in China.
During the event, representatives from SASAC briefed the participants on the development of Chinese central SOEs in accelerating green and low-carbon transformation through technological innovation, while representatives from the British Embassy in China presented policies related to net-zero emissions and sustainable development.
Participants from some Chinese central SOEs and leading British start-up companies conducted in-depth discussions on technological innovation and commercialization of research achievements in areas such as artificial intelligence, software, and precision medicine.
Officials from relevant departments of SASAC, as well as representatives from central SOEs, including China National Petroleum Corporation, State Grid Corporation of China, China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd., China Merchants Group, China National Coal Group Corporation, and China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., participated in the event.
(Executive editor: Hao Wen)
