Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Chinese government on innovation and entrepreneurship in the last three years.

International collaboration on innovation is a priority for both the UK and Chinese Governments. It has therefore featured on the agenda of a large number of Ministerial and official level meetings with the Chinese Government and its agencies (including regular catch up meetings with the Chinese Embassy) over the last three years. Our Science and Innovation Network representatives in the Embassy in Beijing have also had frequent contact with the Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology on innovation issues at an official level.

The high level meetings have been:-

June 2011 (China) - UK China Joint Committee on Science & Innovation Collaboration (Chaired by UK & Chinese Science Ministers and attended by key UK and Chinese science and innovation stakeholders) and associated Innovation Dialogue.

September 2011 (China) – BIS Permanent Secretary (Martin Donnelly) met with Minister Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister of Science & Technology.

April 2012 (UK) – My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant (David Willetts), the then Minister of State for Universities and Science met with Minister Wang Zhigang, Chinese Deputy Vice Minister of Science & Technology, as part of “People to People” meeting. Innovation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed.

April 2012 (UK) - My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant met with Minister Cao Jianlin, Chinese Vice Minister of Science & Technology – Minister Cao also attended a roundtable meeting with BIS officials and UK Innovation stakeholders to discuss potential collaboration.

October 2012 (UK) – Chinese delegation of senior officials from Ministry of Science & Technology and associated agencies attended UK-China Innovation Dialogue meetings with BIS and UK innovation stakeholders and also visited key innovation sites.

October 2013 (China) – UK Ministers (including my Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant) attended the Economic and Financial Dialogue meeting. My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant met with Vice Minister Cao Jianlin, the National Development and Reform Commission and other science and innovation agencies to discuss potential collaboration.

December 2013 (China) – My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister visited China for UK-China Summit. My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant accompanied and had meetings with his opposite number Minister Wan Gang and signed an MOU on financing innovation (setting up a Joint Working Group). New UK-China science and innovation partnership scheme announced.

March 2014 (UK) – UK China Joint Committee on Science & Innovation Collaboration (Chaired by UK & Chinese Science Ministers and attended by key UK and Chinese science and innovation stakeholders) and associated Innovation Dialogue. There were discussions on innovation policy and financing innovation and initial programmes were agreed for the new science and innovation partnership scheme.

April 2014 (China) – My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant was part of a delegation to “People to People” meeting. Presented to China's Vice Premier, Liu Yandong, on latest developments in science and innovation collaboration.

June 2014 (UK) – UK China Summit. My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant was part of the Prime Ministerial team at the summit. Presented on latest developments in science and innovation collaboration to the Chinese Premier and his team. Signed joint work plan on new initiatives under science and innovation partnership scheme.

July 2014 (UK) - High-level delegation from China’s Development Research Centre of the State Council (DRC) met with My Rt. Hon. Friend for Havant to discuss UK policies on research and innovation.

September 2014 (UK) – I was part of the Chancellor’s Ministerial team at the 6th UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue. There were wide ranging discussions which covered banking and finance, business, culture, infrastructure and cities and research and innovation.