Northern Ireland looks for its own ‘golden age’ in relations with China

Through the snow to the British embassy in Beijing, where Northern Ireland Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Jonathan Bell is leading a 13 company-strong trade mission to China.

Trade relations with China have been improving on both sides of the Border, and Northern Ireland’s manufacturing exports to China are increasing year on year. In 2010-2011, manufacturing exports from Northern Ireland totalled around about £60 million (€85 million). In the four years since, they have increased by more than 58 per cent to £95 million (€135 million).

“I think we can say with reasonable confidence that we will get over the £100 million barrier,” said Bell, speaking at an event hosted by Britain’s ambassador to China, Barbara Woodward.

The UK is basking in the glow of the “golden age” hailed by President Xi Jinping during his visit there, when Sino- British trade ties were significantly strengthened. During that visit, Bell attended the UK-China business summit attended by President Xi.

“I got the opportunity to go across to attend the economic summit, a tremendous event. Doors have been opened for us in China. Northern Ireland has a huge part to play in satisfying China’s ever-increasing demand for western goods and services,” said Bell.

One area where Bell expects progress is in securing permission to export pork to China, hopefully followed by lamb and beef. Earlier this year, Chinese authorities overturned a ban on the import of beef from the Republic. It had been banned along with beef from the rest of the EU since the BSE scandal of the mid-1990s.

“We reckon that pork is very close to receiving its licence but we will continue to work very hard to get it across the line, because we have a great story to tell,” said Bell, who has relatives who worked in China as missionaries, and who travelled there earlier this year as honorary vice-president of Ulster University’s Confucius Institute.

“We have the safest food in the world and, in an Asian market that is looking for safe, sustainable food supplies, we reckon we are in a position to provide that,” he said.

Invest Northern Ireland chief executive Alastair Hamilton said Northern Ireland’s reputation had been boosted by 15 years of trade missions, and there were plans for two more trade missions next year.

“The further we go from home the more we have to explain, but once you establish a presence you build up connections, you build up a reputation; and some of our companies have been selling products into the Chinese market and are known for their quality,” said Hamilton.

Many local companies such as Andor Technology, BI Electrical, Randox Laboratories and Schrader Electronics have been blazing a trail for many years in the Chinese market, while new entrants include Irwin’s bakery which recently secured its first business here with China Merchants Food.

Among the areas Northern Ireland is keen to expand is medicine, particularly in training nurses.

“China is going to need tens of thousands of new nurses in the future, so we are looking at where we have areas of expertise in education and that we can recruit Chinese students to come to Northern Ireland to take up that expertise and deliver that back at a later stage,” said Hamilton.

“Another area we are seeking to expand is financial services technology. We are a real centre of excellence in Northern Ireland.”