Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department provides for projects to develop the Chinese fashion and film industry.

This financial year, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has funded one project in China working with the fashion industry, with £65,420 funds allocated. This project involves UK cultural institutions and Higher Education providers working with Chinese policymakers and fashion professionals.

The FCO has funded three projects working with the TV and film industry in China. These projects are all implemented by British organisations working with China's film industry and television production companies and policy makers improve skills, expertise, and policy frameworks for operating in international markets. One project, with £80,000 funds allocated, is designed to enhance UK-China collaboration, including on co-productions and film exports. Another project, with £79,325 funds allocated, supports building of capacity building in the Chinese TV industry. The third project, with £28,390 funds allocated, is designed to strengthen skills and Intellectual Property protection in Jiangsu's creative sector.

All these projects aim to develop China's domestic and international creative and cultural industries, and to generate opportunities for international business, including UK companies already in China and other UK companies seeking access to the growing Chinese market. As an example, at the annual high-level People to People Dialogue between UK and Chinese Ministers in December, the UK agreed a TV Co-Production Treaty with China, which will deliver a boost of around £55m per year for the UK television industry by helping UK exporters access the Chinese market. FCO projects in these sectors help develop links between UK and Chinese companies.