March 11, 2026 — Edinburgh
The China-UK (Scotland) business forum held in Edinburgh to boost economic cooperation gathered over 100 representatives from government, industry, and academia on Wednesday evening as part of the UK roadshow for the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE).
Organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Scottish Government, and China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), the event focused on enhancing ties in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and the digital economy.
Key Speakers and Messages
John Primrose, Scottish Government Deputy Director of Exports and Inward Investment, read a message from First Minister John Swinney praising the longstanding Scotland-China relationship and expressing hopes for strengthened ties.
Further efforts will be made to support Scottish companies in expanding economic partnerships in China and to welcome more Chinese companies to invest in Scotland.
— John Primrose, Xinhua
Ren Hongbin, CCPIT Chairman, urged deeper cooperation in emerging sectors and invited British participants to the CISCE in Beijing in June.
Chinese Consul General Zhang Biao highlighted promising prospects for China-UK economic collaboration.
Peter Burnett, CBBC Chief Executive, addressed global supply chain challenges amid geopolitical tensions, calling for reliable partnerships.
Outcomes and Agreements
The China-UK (Scotland) business forum held in Edinburgh to boost economic cooperation concluded with the China International Exhibition Center Group signing a memorandum of understanding with British partners to foster further collaboration.
The event, covered primarily by Xinhua and syndicated on China.org.cn, has not yet appeared on major UK outlets or Scottish government sites as of March 12.
Big News Network referenced the forum with photo captions from Xinhua.
No dedicated coverage on the CBBC website for this specific China-UK (Scotland) business forum held in Edinburgh to boost economic cooperation, though related past events are noted.
The forum underscores ongoing efforts to support Scottish firms in China and Chinese investments in Scotland, aligning with broader UK-China dialogues like the High-Level People-to-People Dialogue.