British Business Awards Revealed

Nine businesses were presented with awards for outstanding results at the British Business Awards 2014. Photo: Courtesy of the British Chamber of Commerce in China

A glittering gala dinner was held to announce the winners of the British Business Awards 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Lido Hotel on November 20. Nine businesses were presented with awards on the night, selected from a list of 40 finalists that were considered for the accolades.

Organized by the British Chamber of Commerce in China and the China-Britain Business Council, the British Business Awards, which are held every two years, recognize and promote excellence in innovation, enterprise and endeavour made by British and Chinese businesses.

"British trade with China is at a record high and exports are booming," said Paul Atherley, chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, at the event. "This year's finalists have demonstrated that a wide range of successful businesses are bringing the latest in British design, creativity, innovation and sustainability to the increasingly consumption-driven Chinese market."

The awards were divided into eight categories, highlighting organizations and individuals from a variety of disciplines that have achieved outstanding results.

In order to be considered for an award, companies or individuals have to meet one of the following criteria: a British company operating in Chinese mainland; a Chinese company with a branch office in the UK; an individual with a degree from a British higher education institution and under the age of 45.

This year, 208 candidates were considered from the eight categories, a 40 percent increase from the figure in 2012. Of the winners, Huawei Technologies was presented with the Chinese Investor of the Year award, a newly launched award set up to acknowledge the remarkable role of Chinese investors.

Trade between the UK and China broke ￡50 billion ($78 billion) last year and China's imports from the UK doubled since 2009, with an average increase of over ￡1 billion every month.

During Premier Li Keqiang's visit to the UK in June, agreements worth over ￡14 billion were signed between Britain and China in a wide range of fields.

Sebastian Wood, the British Ambassador to China, gave a speech at the event, addressing the bigger context of the awards by concluding that the British Business Awards have gone from strength to strength in recent years and are a reflection of the increasingly strong ties between China and Britain. These business ties, according to Wood, showcase the success behind the flourishing trade and investment statistics of both countries, but they are still in their infancy.

"We are still only at the take-off phase of a relationship which could make a big contribution to China's transformation to a knowledge economy, and bring an enormous new source of vitality to the UK in return," he added.