David Cameron highlights University link with China

10 Nov 2010

Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken about the importance of an environmental collaboration between The University of Manchester and Fudan University in Shanghai on his visit to the country.

Mr Cameron is leading the biggest-ever Government delegation to China, including Chancellor George Osborne, Business Secretary Vince Cable, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and Education Secretary Michael Gove.

At a lunch for Chinese investors, Mr Cameron reinforced his commitment to support their UK investments and made reference to the collaboration between the Tyndall Centre and the Shanghai institution.

Led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), and including The University of Manchester as well as Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle, Sussex, Southampton and Cardiff, the Tyndall Centre has received support from China's central and Shanghai governments.

Fudan will become the Chinese hub of the Tyndall Centre, a unique partnership between researchers from eight UK research institutions, which tackles issues around climate change.
As part of the joint programme, Fudan's University's Urban Planning and Architectural Design Institute (UPADI) will set up an office in London.

Nine recent and ongoing inward investments from China were also announced, worth in excess of £300 million, which have created or safeguarded more than 1,200 jobs across the UK.
The projects are associated with cutting-edge technologies and will make use of the UK's leading research and development capabilities.

David Cameron and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also witnessed the signing of a deal worth £750m for Rolls Royce at the UK-China summit. The agreement was to supply Trent 700 engines for 16 Airbus A330s to China Eastern Airlines, and on a carbon partnership.

Prof Kevin Anderson, director of the Tyndall Centre at The University of Manchester, said: "The inclusion of Shanghai’s Fudan University as a full partner within the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research offers an invaluable opportunity to pool Chinese and UK university expertise to tackle both the pressing challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing climate-resilient development."

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "China is the world's second biggest economy. Bilateral trade and investment is growing but there is scope for much more. Exporting is important for UK growth and UK jobs.

"Chinese investment into the UK was £27 million in 2009, which is nearly 10 per cent of all Chinese investment to the EU. Such a vote of confidence in our economy can only be positive for economic growth and for the development of other industries throughout the country.

"Knowing that so many companies have been able to successfully develop their business is proof that we are becoming an ever more attractive destination for Chinese firms and that they in turn are investing in areas that will help both countries to grow and prosper."

Chinese companies are now active in all sectors in the UK, creating jobs across the country, and investments in 2009/10 were up 23 per cent on the previous year.