The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The UK (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is located in Western Europe and is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK is the Head of the Commonwealth, a member of the Group of Seven (G7), and one of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

The UK is the world’s fourth-largest innovative economy and the second-largest exporter of services. London, the capital city of the UK, is one of the world’s leading financial centres. The UK is a global hub for business and investment, with an open, stable and highly connected economic system. Driven by innovation, talent and abundant opportunities, the UK continues to attract trade and investment from around the world.

 

I.Advantages of Investing the UK

• The widest coverage of international capital flow
• Europe’s most important investment destination, ranking the second globally after the United States
• Ranked first in Europe and third globally in the number of unicorn companies (2025)
• Four UK universities ranked among the global top 10, and eight among the top 50 (2025).

II.Industry Sector Highlights

1. Construction Industry

The UK construction industry covers a wide range of fields, from regional master planning and positioning, concept design and architectural design, to engineering consultancy and project management, from Building Information Modelling (BIM) and project operation, to net-zero solutions and space creation and operation. It is a reliable partner in addressing urban planning and regeneration challenges across the world.

• A global leader in sustainable construction: the UK is home to cutting-edge technologies and leads in low-carbon practices, environmentally friendly materials and construction.
• World-class designers, consultancies and contractors: with a large number of companies, the UK construction sector can meet and exceed your highest technical requirements and commercial standards, creating synergies for project cooperation.
• At the forefront of digital best practice: the UK leads in providing BIM standards and guidance, which many other countries are now using as a basis for developing their own frameworks.
• Business assistance and support: global support, consultancy and a range of priority programmes make it easy to find, select and purchase UK construction products and services.
• British architectural design companies contributed to many iconic landmarks in Chongqing, including Raffles City, TestBed 2, Chongqing Industrial Museum, IFS, and the T2 and T3B of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.

2.Education and Skills

As a world-leading provider of education resources, the UK enjoys an outstanding reputation in education and skills and is a natural partner for China.

• The UK’s extensive experience in education and training can support China’s ongoing industrial upgrading.
• UK innovation and development in education resources, software, hardware and learning materials, together with its highly regarded education quality, can fully meet China’s current and future industrial needs.

3.Retail and Consumer Goods

The UK is the birthplace of many world-renowned retail brands. The UK retail industry is globally respected for its heritage, innovation and craftsmanship.

• As a leader in the fashion industry, the UK hosts one of the four major global fashion events — London Fashion Week. Well-known brands such as Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith and Ted Baker all originate from the UK.
• The beauty industry, including well-known brands such as Lush and The Body Shop, covers all consumer segments, from anti-ageing products and fragrances to men’s grooming. Many brands have strong heritage and brand stories.
• As the birthplace of many modern sports, the UK has a long-established and fast-growing sporting goods industry. In 2023, UK sporting goods exports exceeded $2 billion, ranking eighth globally.
• The UK has a long history of craftsmanship manufacturing, covering ceramics, textiles, wool, leather and home appliances, and is home to well-known brands such as Wedgwood, Royal Crown Derby, Denby and Dyson.

4.Digital Technology, Consumer Electronics and Games Technology

• The UK has one of the world’s largest technology ecosystems, currently valued at nearly £1 trillion. It ranks the first in Europe and third globally in the number of unicorn companies.
• The UK is home to 3,400 games companies, operating across PC, console, mobile, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) and esports.
• In 2023, the UK creative industries generated £124 billion, accounting for 5.2% of the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA), making the UK the world’s third-largest exporter of creative services.

5. Medical Innovation and Life Sciences Research

• The UK is a world-leading life sciences powerhouse, with the sector contributing approximately £100 billion to the UK economy.
• The UK is the world’s third-largest destination for foreign direct investment in life sciences and leads Europe in life sciences finance.

6. Advanced Manufacturing

The UK’s manufacturing strength spans a wide range of sectors, supported by world-class innovation, expertise and high-quality products.

• From space technology in Scotland and Oxfordshire, to manufacturing capabilities across England, including aerospace in the Southwest and Northwest, and automotive and batteries in the West Midlands and Northeast, advanced manufacturing frontiers are driving the next wave of global industrial transformation.
• In 2023, UK advanced manufacturing output reached £216 billion, with key strengths in electric vehicle battery production and aerospace.
• According to the UK Modern Industrial Strategy, by 2035 business investment in advanced manufacturing is expected to nearly double to £39 billion, supported by £4.3 billion of public funding, creating a globally competitive business environment.

7. Financial and Professional Services Ecosystem

• The UK has one of the world’s most open, innovative and dynamic financial service industries. As a global financial centre with strong and highly liquid capital markets, the UK provides an excellent environment for financing and driving economic growth.
• The UK is the world’s second-largest exporter of financial services.
• The UK is home to over 90,000 financial and professional services firms, including five of the world’s top 15 law firms and three of the “Big Four” accounting firms.

8.Clean Energy and Green Infrastructure

• The UK was the first major economy to legislate a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
• The UK has the world’s second-largest offshore wind market.
• In 2023, the UK attracted £2.6 billion in clean technology investment, further strengthening its global leadership in green innovation.

III .The UK and Chongqing

The UK is one of Chongqing’s most important trade partners and sources of capital and technology in Europe.

1.Trade

In 2025, total imports and exports between Chongqing and the UK reached 12.987 billion RMB, representing a year-on-year increase of 25.7%. Exports totaled 12.448 billion RMB, up 26.2%, while imports reached 539 million RMB, up 15%.

2.Investment

Currently, more than 110 British companies have invested and established in Chongqing, covering manufacturing, modern services, life health, financial services and the digital economy. Enterprises such as Changan and CISDI have also invested in the UK.

3.Education

Education has long been a key area of cooperation between the UK and Southwest China. At present, Southwest China has established 31 higher education partnership programmes and 13 technical and vocational education partnerships with the UK. Chongqing and Chengdu are home to six British international schools, providing families in Sichuan and Chongqing with more international education options. In addition, the Chongqing Medical University–University of Leicester Joint College is the only Sino-UK cooperative institution in Western China offering a clinical medicine programme.

4.Culture

More citizens experience British culture through a wide range of public activities. The British Consulate-General Chongqing has organised a series of major cultural events across Southwest China, including the “UK Film Season”, “More Than Music”, “British Festival”, “Be Yourself”, “Shakespeare Lives”, “Youth is Great”, “End Wildlife Crime”, and “UK Now”.

Source: British Consulate-General in Chongqing