Today members of Leeds’ civic, business, education and cultural sectors welcomed the Chinese Consul General to Leeds and introduced him to the many opportunities which Leeds has to offer to partners in China. He was welcomed to the Civic Hall by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Graham Latty and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Judith Blake, who led a Leeds City Region trade and investment mission to China last September.
The Consul General, Zheng Xijuan, was accompanied by representatives from the commercial section of the Chinese Embassy in London as well from the Bank of China. Present to welcome the Consul General’s delegation were representatives from local businesses including tech company Dahua which is about to open an office in Leeds, TPP, Munroe K and Grant Thornton International, all of which are active in the Chinese market. The Chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, Roger Marsh, was also present to share information with the Consul General on the sector strengths of the wider city region economy.
The Consul General paid tribute to the city council and its local partners for maintaining its strategic partnership with the city of Hangzhou, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. He also congratulated the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett university for building such strong partnerships with universities across China and for providing a welcoming and safe environment for many students from China.
Representatives from the cultural sector including Phoenix Dance Theatre, East Street Arts and the Leeds2023 Trust were also present to talk about the cultural ambitions of the city, particularly in the lead up to the city’s international cultural festival in 2023.
It is hoped that the Consul General will be a regular visitor to Leeds in the future.