Liverpool Chinese Business Association reaches out to city with launch of new networking initiative
A new era of business collaboration between Liverpool’s Chinese community and the city was launched last night.
Liverpool Chinese Business Association (LCBA) officially unveiled its pioneering Liverpool Chinese Business Network (LCBN) in association with the city council and private sector supporters, including law firm Kirwans.
The association’s Alan Seatwo, addressing almost 100 guests at the launch in Berry Street’s China Palace Restaurant, explained: “The potential collaboration and partnership opportunities among Chinese and non- Chinese businesses will be particularly useful, especially important under political and financial challenges ahead.”
He said it was fitting in the year of Liverpool’s involvement in the Shanghai Expo that Europe’s oldest Chinese community should introduce a new forum to further strengthen the relationships built over many years.
Network manager Colin Ling added: “Our aim is to help grow profitable relationships between Chinese and non-Chinese enterprises and assist businesses who wish to trade with China by providing a friendly, accessible environment.
“Our network events will be designed to allow people to get to know one another, our motto is ‘Let’s first become friends then do business’.”
The association illustrated its ambitious plans last month in a successful week-long trade mission to Linyi, a city of 10.3m people between Shanghai and Beijing, involving high-level meetings with local and national Chinese government officials.
The aim is to establish a bridge for firms to open up trading links in one of China’s emerging economic zones.
Guest speaker was Tony Kwok, who was the first Chinese sole trader to sell products to Marks and Spencer.
Kirwans’ partner and head of commercial, Michael Sandys, said: “Kirwans is one of the partners of the LCBN and we are very excited to be a part of it. We look forward to working with the LCBA and the Chinese community in Liverpool and beyond and fostering good business relations and helping them in terms of any legal issues they may have.”
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