The British Business Awards Celebrate UK-China Partnerships

SHANGHAI, Nov. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of application and judging, the winners of the ten categories of the British Business Awards (BBA) 2020 in China were announced yesterday on 29 October in the InterContinental Shanghai Pudong. The new British Ambassador to China and Patron of BBA 2020, Caroline Wilson CMG attended and addressed the ceremony. Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Exports in the Department for International Trade, Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the UK, and Fang Wenjian, Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in the UK sent over their congratulations over video messages. 

All the speakers mentioned in unison that 2020 is a challenging year for all and in this context, it is more important than ever for British and Chinese businesses to join hands and further consolidate and deepen partnership for win-win cooperation. 

Graham Stuart MP: "Despite the challenges, these Awards highlight the ever-growing trade relationship between China and the UK. This positive economic and trade cooperation between the UK and China will ultimately contribute towards the global recovery from the effects of the pandemic."

HM Caroline Wilson CMG: "The British Business Awards offer an incredible opportunity to celebrate successful UK-China partnerships. It is great to see so many different UK companies and institutions represented across all of the categories - some well-known, and other niche and innovative businesses also rightly being recognised. We also celebrate the brilliant British universities being represented here tonight. All the finalists this evening should be rightly proud of their successes."

Liu Xiaoming: "The British Business Awards has witnessed the remarkable achievements of China-UK operation in trade and investments. It has become a symbol of the pioneering spirit and relentless efforts of the entrepreneurs of our two countries. I sincerely hope Chinese and British entrepreneurs will join hands to overcome the difficulties and write more splendid chapters of China-UK win-win cooperation."

Fang Wenjian: "In the past decade, Chinese investment in the UK increased 20 times, creating many local jobs for the society. I believe that in the 'post-pandemic' era, China and the UK will have huge opportunities for trade and investment cooperation."

Ray Chisnall, Chairman of BBA 2020 and Vice Chairman of The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai concluded in the closing remarks that: "I would like to thank our many sponsors and partners who make this year's awards possible. My congratulations to all winners and finalists. Your hard work and dedication is the driving force behind the ongoing growth and development of strong partnerships between the UK and China. While only ten winners could be chosen, you all embody the spirit of innovation, enterprise and endeavour that these awards seek to reward. "

The British Business Awards 2020 Winners 

Innovation Award – sponsored by bp
AstraZeneca China

Sustainability Award - sponsored by Houghton Street Consulting
Unilever

Education Institutional Partnership of the Year Award 
Queen's University Belfast

Entrepreneur of the Year Award - sponsored by The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai
Malcolm Staff - Halifax Fan

Chinese Investor in the UK Award 
Trip.com Group

British Exporter of the Year Award - sponsored by China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) 
Peak Scientific Instruments Limited

Leadership Award - sponsored by The University of Manchester China Centre
Penny Burgess – CEO, WE Red Bridge

Best Employer Award - sponsored by Smith+Nephew
Spirax Sarco 

Best Services Award - sponsored by KPMG China
Wood 

British Company of the Year Award - sponsored by Spirax Sarco
Smiths Group

About the British Business Awards
Established in 2008, the biennial British Business Awards (BBA) are a national awards programme recognising and promoting excellence in innovation, enterprise, and endeavour, in the British and Chinese business communities.

Host of the Awards rotates every second year between the British Chamber in Beijing and the British Chamber in Shanghai. The 2020 Awards are run by The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai and with Her Majesty's Ambassador to China as its Patron, has the full support of Department for International Trade (DIT), The British Council, China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and British Chambers in Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai and Southwest.