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The 48 Group’s AI+ Expo Roadshow – Beijing Highlights
June 8, 2025
Over the past fortnight, The 48 Group has been at the heart of high-level dialogue, innovation and partnership building across China. From Beijing to Shandong to Zhejiang, our delegation engaged with senior government officials, leading innovators, top executives from Fortune 500 companies, and influential investors to explore collaborative opportunities in AI+.
Our time in Beijing commenced with the official launch of the new 48 Group’s China office and a carefully curated programme of government meetings, investment forums and private sector roundtable discussions - all designed to strengthen long-term cooperation between the UK and China’s leading enterprises.
📍 May 18 – Chaoyang District Reception The Beijing leg of the delegation began with a warm welcome at an evening reception hosted in Chaoyang District - a vibrant hub of business, diplomacy, and innovation in the capital.
The reception brought together influential figures from both government and enterprise, setting an energetic tone for the days ahead. Notable attendees included:
LIU Minqiang, Director-General, China Investment Promotion Agency, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM)
ZHANG Liwen, General Manager, Beijing CBD Investment Promotion Co. Ltd.
WU Xiaojie, District Mayor, Chaoyang District, Beijing
LIU Jun, CEO of Huamao Group and Chairman of China Central Place
📍 May 19 – E-Town Yizhuang (Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area)
Hosted in Beijing’s E-town, The Promoting Win - Win Development - China - UK AI Industry Cooperation Dialogue forum welcomed featured over 200 participants, including AI experts, scholars and representatives from China, the UK, and Ireland. The forum focused on AI applications in biomedicine, new energy, and intelligent manufacturing and included keynote speeches, policy promotion, project matchmaking, and targeted negotiations.
Beginning with Opening Remarks from:
TANG Song, Deputy Director-General, CIPA, MOFCOM
SUN Yao, Party Secretary, Beijing Investment Promotion
Jack Perry Jr, Chairman, The 48 Group; Chief Executive Officer, London Export Corporation (LEC)
Lewis Neal, HM Trade Commissioner, British Embassy
The forum then moved on to the launch ceremony for the much anticipated 48 Group China Office.
This included the signing of two cooperation agreements during the event:
Between Virax Biolabs and P4 China-UK Precision Medicine Innovation Center, aiming to promote AI-driven medical diagnostic technologies in China.
Between ESP Science and Technology Innovation and Investment Promotion Service Center and Beijing E-Town International Service Trade Co., focusing on information sharing, resource connection, trade matching, technology exchange, and talent training.
The forum featured a series of keynote speeches covering a wide range of topics from international cooperation and AI strategy to renewable energy, digital twins, and the future of public health.
Highlights included:
Alderman Timothy Hailes on international collaboration through partnership and technology
Lord Taylor of Warwick on the transformative power of AI in daily life
LAI Yunjie, ZHIPU AI, on China’s development of large language models and AGI
Tim Heal, Octopus Energy, on scaling AI to drive energy value
TIAN Heng, Goldwind, on the practical integration of AI in clean tech
Jonathan Mitchell, London Export Corporation
RUAN Jiayang, Zhimeng Xintong, on AI-powered digital twins and asset management
James Foster, Virax Biolabs, on using immune data to shape the future of healthcare
GU Jingliang, JOINN Laboratories, on AI in pharmaceutical R&D
GAO Feng, Shenzhou Guangda Technology, on AI-driven logistics and value creation
The day then concluded with the 48 group visiting the Xiaomi EV Hyperfactory, showcasing smart manufacturing at scale.
📍 May 20 – Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM)
The delegation met with MrLING Ji, Deputy Minister of MOFCOM and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, for a high-level discussion on future trade and investment cooperation.
Presentations from UK companies, including Octopus Energy, Virax Biolabs, and London Export Corporation, which highlighted shared priorities in sustainability, med-tech and digital infrastructure.
📍 May 21 – Xicheng & Chaoyang Districts
The delegation continued its programme in Beijing with a day of in-depth discussions and engagements across two of the capital’s most influential districts: Xicheng, home to the Beijing Financial Street, and Chaoyang, the city’s Central Business District.
🔹 Xicheng District – Financial Street Engagement
The delegation was welcomed by District Mayor Zhi Haijie, alongside a series of presentations delivered by senior government officials, including:
YANG Qiu, Vice Chair, CPPCC Xicheng District & Director of the Data Bureau
LU Wuxing, Director, Financial Street Service Bureau
CHENG Xue, Director, Economic Promotion Bureau
LIU Shichun, Chairman, Financial Street Holdings
Discussions focused on cross-border investment, International Trade, AI + and opportunities for British businesses to integrate into China’s financial and trade ecosystem.
UK speakers included:
Jack Perry Jr, Chairman, The 48 Group; Chief Executive Officer, London Export Corporation (LEC)
Alderman Timothy Russell Hailes; Future Lord Mayor of the City of London (2026)
Lord Taylor Of Warwick, Baron Taylor of Warwick.
Dr Sharmila Whelan, Founder & Global Macro Strategist, Westbourne Research Services Ltd
Jonathan Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer, London Export Corporation (LEC)
Song Ziji (Zi Ji Song), Chief Executive Officer, OxValue.AI (spun out of University of Oxford)
🔹 Chaoyang District
In the afternoon, the delegation visited Chaoyang District, where they were hosted by District Mayor WU Xiaojie and senior district leaders including:
ZHAO Haidong, Executive Deputy District Mayor
SHU Bilei, Deputy District Mayor
Notable Participating departments included:
Chaoyang District Development and Reform Commission, Foreign Affairs Office, Bureau of Commerce, Chaoyang Park Administrative Committee (Science & Information Technology Bureau) and Beijing Central Business District Administrative Committee
Discussions centred on digital transformation, smart urban development, and policy collaboration to support foreign business expansion.
The day concluded with site visits to Alibaba and Metaverse, where delegates explored China’s most advanced applications of AI and immersive digital technology.
📍 May 22 – Fengtai District & Global Trade Summit
The final day of the Beijing programme saw the delegation continue its business to business engagements in the Fengtai District, followed by participation in the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025, hosted by CCPIT.
In Fengtai, the group met with senior officials from the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau and Fengtai District Government, including SUN Yao Secretary of Party Leadership Group, MENG Fanyong Deputy Director-General, LIN Yanhong District Mayor of Fengtai District, and ZHUANG Kai Secretary of Party Leadership Group & Director, Fengtai District Investment Promotion Service Center.
Activities included a business matching session connecting UK companies with Chinese enterprises across fintech, AI, and green energy. The discussions underscored the district’s ambition to become a platform for international investment and technological innovation.
Later that day, The 48 Group participated in the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025, hosted by CCPIT at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The Summit was opened by the Vice President of China H.E. HAN Zheng, Former President of Brazil and Chair of New Development Bank H.E. Dilma Rousseff, Chairman of CCPIT H.E. REN Hongbin.
48 Group Chairman Jack Perry spoke on the Plenary Session during the opening ceremony with the heads of leading chamber of commerce across the world including:
Mr. REN Hongbin, Chairman of CCPIT
Mr. Michael Hart, President, AmCham China
Mr. Martin Axel Hofmann, Chairman, German Chamber of Commerce in China
Mr. Rémi Paul, President, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China
Mr.Vaughn Barber, Chair, China-Australia Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Simon Lichtenberg, All China Founding Chairman, Danish Chamber of Commerce in China
Mr. LOW Kian Chuan, Chairman, Malaysia-China Business Council
The summit brought together over 800 delegates from government departments, international organisations, and leading global enterprises.
Addressing the audience, Jack Perry, Chairman of The 48 Group, spoke in the plenary session highlighting the urgency of strengthening global cooperation amid rising economic uncertainty. He called for deeper trust-building between nations, greater multilateral engagement, and renewed focus on long-term trade stability — reinforcing The 48 Group’s commitment to constructive UK–China dialogue on the world stage.
Beijing in Review
From the launch of the new 48 Group’s China Office in E-Town to high-level meetings across Xicheng, Chaoyang, Changping, Fengtai the Beijing leg of the delegation delivered four days of impactful dialogue, strategic partnership-building, and on-the-ground engagement.
We extend our sincere thanks to all our hosts and partners in Beijing for their warm welcome, deep insight and shared commitment to building lasting UK–China cooperation.
