Trade delegation from £1bn Airport City Manchester heads to China

The £1bn Airport City Manchester development is building on the links forged during last year’s visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping by sending a delegation out to the Far East with the aim of driving inward investment in the North West.

The delegation is headed up by Lynda Shillaw, the CEO of Manchester Airports Group’s property arm MAG Property. Visiting two of China’s key cities, Beijing and Shanghai, the group has held meetings with industry leaders from China’s financial, manufacturing and business hubs.

The trade visit coincides with the launch of Connect, a new business concierge service set up to drive inward investment into Airport City, helping firms relocating to Manchester to drive growth and allow their workforce to get the most out of living in the North West.

Lynda commented: “We’ve had really strong interest in Airport City Manchester since President Xi’s visit and we’re thrilled to be able to build on those relationships and that momentum with this visit and the launch of Connect.

“This is the first major infrastructure project in the UK with the involvement of a Chinese company as an equity partner and is proving to be one of the best examples of how a new wave of Chinese investment is transforming infrastructure and development in the UK.”

She continued: “Airport City Manchester, and the wider Northern Powerhouse, are helping the UK to build a new era of cooperation between East and West, and we’re thrilled with the high levels of interest and enquiries we’re receiving from firms in China either looking to establish or to relocate a base within the UK.”

Available only to Airport City occupiers, Airport City Connect will provide advice on corporate and employment law, payroll and employer compliance, business structuring and import and export duty, among other areas. The service will be delivered in partnership with professional services giant Deloitte and law firms Eversheds and Addleshaw Goddard.

Connect Life, meanwhile, will be tailored to Airport City firms’ employees and outline the best places to dine or shop, in addition to providing advice on local schools and applying for a driving licence.

The executive director of the Manchester China Forum, Rhys Whalley, commented: “We have worked extensively with Airport City Manchester following the establishment of the Manchester China Forum. The Forum; established three years ago to help set in place the foundations for long-term relations with China, has overseen tremendous progress in route connectivity, Manchester’s profile in China as well as investment into the region.

“President Xi’s visit to Airport City last year has further underlined the development’s significance as a flagship example of UK-China collaboration in infrastructure.”

Rhys added: “Today’s Connect announcement is another welcome move that will continue to boost Airport City’s offering to Chinese companies and serves as another example of Manchester’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with Chinese companies as they grow in the UK market.”