Chinese firms and business people enjoy the national treatment like the British, said Charles Powell, president of the Britain-China Business Council in Beijing on September 6.

"Any Chinese company can buy any British company without any restriction, and any Chinese business men or women can set up their businesses in Britain without restriction just the same as British people," he said at a meeting with the press.

Also attending the meeting were also Digby Jones, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, and five CEOs of British companies from information technology, construction, metals recycle and beer industries.

Powell spoke highly of the fast growing Britain-China trade in recent years, saying Britain has become China's largest trade partner in the European Union (EU).

According to Chinese customs figures, Sino-British trade hit 12.1 billion US dollars in the first eight months this year.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai has predicted that the two countries could reach the goal of a 20-billion-US dollar trade between the two countries this year.

Powell, who also serves as chairman of the EU-China Business Association, suggested the right way to handle the trade imbalance and disputes between the EU and China should be increasing British exports to China rather than "putting obstacles in the way of China selling more to Britain."

Jones said that a richer and more prosperous China would provide greater opportunities for enlarging trade and investment between the EU and China.

To expand two-way trade and investment, the Confederation of British Industry will set up a representative office in Beijing next month, he said.

Source: Xinhua