China remains a long-term gain for foreign businesses targeting the market, British business leaders and industry insiders said on Thursday at the 2025 Global Britain Trade Expo, an annual event in London for businesses seeking international expansion.

Molly Ling, CEO of Shopfever Group, a global e-commerce group headquartered in Hong Kong specializing in e-commerce solutions and digital marketing, said China is a market with an undeniable and unignorable advantage — its sheer size — which continues to draw international interest.

What's more, policies rolled out at the top level in China, including further shortening the market access negative list, streamlining the foreign investment process, upgrading pilot free trade zones, and facilitating cross-border payments, have indeed improved trade and investment sentiment, she said.

Ling also noted that the uncertainty caused by the US tariff policy has even shifted the focus of many European businesses from North America to Asia, as she has received more inquiries from clients eager to explore new markets they had not previously considered.

"I think the tariffs haven't yet caused significant, tangible impacts because, although there were announcements, they were never fully implemented and were even paused or delayed. However, the issue served as a wake-up call for many," she said.

"They may have felt that doing business with the US was sufficient, so there was little motivation to explore new markets. But once the tariffs came into play, everyone began to consider: what if another Donald Trump-like figure emerges, or what if the legacy left behind by him continues to influence the US? Therefore, in the long run, there is a strong sense of the need to pursue diversification."

Winnie Seow Mei, international markets lead at Hawksford, an international provider of corporate, private client and fund services, added that while the potential returns on investment in the Chinese market are widely acknowledged, the current payback period may be longer due to slowing global growth, domestic challenges within China, and geopolitical turbulence.

However, she underscored that China market opportunities need to be considered from a long-term view with understanding of the relevant opportunities to tap into.

On Friday in Cambridge, economic cooperation between China and the UK was a key theme at the second edition of the Cambridge China Business Forum, where prominent business representatives from both sides, including Tencent, BYD, JinkoSolar, Octopus Energy and others were brought together to discuss opportunities in artificial intelligence, green transition and e-commerce.

Delivering his keynote speech, John McLean, chairman of the China UK Business Development Centre, said there has been a positive momentum in bilateral relations as the governing Labour Party seeks to build a stable, consistent and pragmatic relationship with China.

At the same time, the outlook for businesses is not without risks due to mounting global challenges, including shifting trade policies, shrinking supply chains, climate change, natural disasters, wars and other factors, he said.

"To remain open-minded, adaptable, and receptive to new ideas or perspectives, it highlights the value of exploring the unknown and being willing to question established views. That is what we want. So, in other words, let's turn the turmoil to our advantage to benefit the UK-China trade."

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