China and the UK are highly complementary in fintech and green finance and enjoy broad prospects for cooperation, said Zhang Jinlong, Chairman of the UK Chinese Business Association (UKCBA) at a recent event.

Zhang Jinlong speaks at the seminar. (Photo/Yu Kai)

Zhang Jinlong said that since its establishment in 2012, the UKCBA has played an active role in promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, business exchanges and economic cooperation between China and the UK and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Zhang added that in order to promote comprehensive cooperation between China and the UK, the UKCBA has set up a "China representative office" in Beijing to strengthen contacts with Chinese micro, small and medium enterprises, industrial and commercial organizations and other social organizations to build a platform for further cooperation.

Meanwhile, in order to strengthen China-UK mutual investment and trade cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKCBA plans to register an investment and international business & trading company in south China’s Hainan province, in order to make a contribution to repairing the industrial chain rupture caused by COVID-19, promoting the resumption of work and production when conditions permit, and boosting social employment.

In the field of education, according to Zhang Jinlong, the UKCBA has introduced a high-quality British K12 school to China, which will soon be established in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province.

The UKCBA will help a renowned university in southeast China's Fujian province and a business school in the UK with negotiations on cooperation between the two schools in various aspects, so as to promote exchanges and mutual learning between the two sides and jointly cultivate more outstanding talents, thus providing a talent pool for all-round cooperation between China and the UK.

Zhang believes that China and the UK are highly complementary in fintech and green finance and enjoy broad prospects for cooperation.

"Historically, the UK has been a world innovation powerhouse at the forefront of global scientific research, with strong scientific research and innovation capabilities. China is in the process of accelerating innovation-driven development and deepening reform and opening up. China has a huge market, improved industrial system and diverse consumer demand, which means that the two countries have an enormous and unprecedented space for cooperation,” Zhang Jinlong said.

In terms of cultural exchanges, Zhang said that in order to enhance the friendship between the Chinese and British people, the UKCBA will conduct exchanges from the perspective of non-governmental organizations and organize various types of cultural activities.

"I believe that the Chinese and British governments have the ability to overcome the current difficulties and work together to promote economic globalization for the benefit of the Chinese and British people and the people of the world,” Zhang Jinlong said.