Northern England – Central News Hub

China-Northern England Cooperation Forum held in Leeds

Phil Witcherley, interim director of Inclusive Economy, Skills and Culture of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, highlighted the role international trade and investment plays in promoting development at the forum…reports Asian Lite News

The China-Northern England Cooperation Forum was held here Monday, bringing together business representatives from China and Britain to explore new opportunities for cooperation in investment and trade.

At the forum themed “Partnership for a Prosperous Future,” Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang noted that trade and investment relationship between China and Britain serves the fundamental interests of both sides.

He pointed out that thanks to the measures China has put in place more growth opportunities will be generated.

Citing figures from the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) Trade Tracker, Claire Urry, CBBC’s chief commercial officer, said, “Yorkshire and the Humber region experienced the fastest year-on-year growth of export to China in all the UK regions in the second half of 2022.”

“Should this strong, upward trajectory continue, regional exports will hit record levels very soon,” she said.

Witcherley said West Yorkshire “is committed to developing stronger links with key international partners like China and driving forward international trade and investment initiatives, which are essential to the prosperity of our region and the North (of England).”

At the round-table forum, companies from the Northern England region expressed their willingness to expand to the Chinese market. “The market in China is a huge opportunity,” Brandon Medical Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Keith Jackson said.

In 2019, “we started to look at China for the first time. I have to say it’s been a fantastic experience,” Chris Black, managing director of Sound Leisure, a British jukebox manufacturer, said.

Fang Wenjian, chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, said that Chinese investments have increased in the country, and notably Yorkshire and the Humber region has become increasingly attractive due to its promising prospects.

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Tens of thousands without power in storm’s wake

Some train routes, including one between the cities of Edinburgh and Newcastle, were cancelled due to damage caused by the storm…reports Asian Lite News.

Tens of thousands of people in Scotland and northern England remained without power Sunday after a storm brought sleet, subzero temperatures and disruptions across much of the UK.

Icy gusts caused power cuts around the border between Scotland and England, with Northern Powergrid saying it recorded 1,100 instances of damage requiring significant repairs. It said it was trying to restore service to 40,000 customers, while the SP Energy Networks said 21,000 customers remained without power Sunday.

“The storm was well forecasted and despite being prepared, Storm Arwen resulted in damage of a scale and intensity not seen for 15 years,” said Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s major incident manager.

The power cuts came as forecasters issued ice warnings and said the coldest night of the season would hit parts of the UK later Sunday, with snowfall expected across the country and temperatures dropping to as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Scotland and northern England.

Some train routes, including one between the cities of Edinburgh and Newcastle, were cancelled due to damage caused by the storm.

The cold spell came after three people were killed when trees were blown over by strong winds as Storm Arwen hit the UK on Friday.

At least three people have died after the year’s first winter storm battered parts of the countries with gusts of nearly 100 mph (160 kph).

The storm, which was named Arwen by the country’s Met Office, hit parts of the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland particularly hard late Friday and early Saturday. Three men — one in each of those parts of the UK — died as trees were blown over.

The storm, which also caused road closures, train delays, power cuts and high waves, abated Saturday.

“Storm Arwen has delivered some dangerously strong winds overnight, with gusts in excess of 90 mph recorded,” the Met Office’s chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale said. “The strong winds will move south across the UK through the day, gradually weakening.”

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