China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and British Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle co-chaired the 14th meeting of the China-UK Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) on September 11, 2025, in Beijing. Photo: Ministry of Commerce

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and British Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle co-chaired the 14th meeting of the China-UK Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) on Thursday. They exchanged in-depth views on trade, investment and regional issues, and a broad consensus was reached, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Friday.

At the meeting, Wang noted that China and the UK share extensive common interests, with considerable bilateral trade and broad investment areas, making economic and trade cooperation a stabilizing pillar for China-UK ties. The JETCO meeting, held for the first time in seven years, is a practical measure to deepen bilateral economic relations, from which people of both countries will gain tangible benefits, said Wang.

China will expand imports from the UK and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in the UK, said Wang, noting that China hopes the UK will protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in accordance with the law. China is willing to work with the UK to jointly uphold free trade and the multilateral trading system, Wang said.

Kyle noted that the UK attaches great importance to economic and trade cooperation with China and is optimistic about opportunities in the Chinese market, according to the MOFCOM.

The UK is willing to expand bilateral trade in services, encourage two-way investment, strengthen industrial cooperation, and jointly uphold the multilateral trading system, as well as promoting cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the World Trade Organization, Kyle added.

Both sides agreed to hold meetings of the China-UK WTO Working Group, the Trade Remedies Exchange and Cooperation Mechanism, and the Trade in Services Working Group. They also agreed to make full use of the China-UK Export Control Working Group to facilitate compliant trade in dual-use items, and to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on investment policies, creating a fair and non-discriminatory business environment.

During the meeting, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the China-UK WTO Working Group and a Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the China-UK Trade Remedies Exchange and Cooperation Mechanism.

Earlier in the week, the opening ceremony of the China-UK Investment Exchange Series and the "Invest in China" session were successfully held. China's Vice Minister of Commerce Ling Ji and British Ambassador to China Peter Wilson attended the event. Around 300 representatives from the governments, businesses, financial institutions, and trade associations of both China and the UK participated, discussing new opportunities for bilateral investment, according to MOFCOM.

The ceremony was held on the sidelines of China's only major national exhibition focused on the theme of investment, the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province. The UK was the Guest of Honor at this year's fair, which drew the participation of more than 100 British companies and institutions.