Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, a nonprofit organization that has promoted China-UK relations through trade and commerce throughout the past 70 years, said the great dedication of his father and his business colleagues who founded the club in the early 1950s ensured people could go against the tide and engage with China, despite a Western embargo.

"To some extent, that's what we did today," he said. "If we want to be successful as a country, if we want to be global Britain, we will take one thing that is absolutely clear, that Asia is likely to be the most important continent in the next 50 to 100 years in this world," Perry said. "We want the jobs, we want the work, and we want the opportunities to work together with China."

In the panel discussions, a lineup of prominent guest speakers, including the Li Yao, managing director of Q Energy; Roger Adams, executive director at RSK Group; Carol Yan, general manager of Power Link Machine UK Co; Tim Hawkins, lead of Manchester Airports Group's strategy, public affair, external communications and CSR teams; and Andy Burwell, international director at Confederation of British Industry shared knowledge of the UK government's Leveling-up policy and the opportunities it presents for companies.

At the panel on China-UK actions in pursuit of net zero of carbon emission, David Percival, chairman of Manchester China Forum; Keith Martin, senior vice-president in charge of LNG, gas, power, carbon and renewables at PetroChina International (London); Andrew Bissell, founder and CEO of Sunamp; and Corinna Fletcher, organizational development director of Group Lotus, discussed the business potential of the two country's efforts in fighting climate change.