On 6 February 2026, the 48 Group, the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) jointly hosted the “Icebreakers” Chinese New Year Dinner 2026 in London. Over 500 people from various sectors in China and the UK attended the event. He Lifeng, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, sent a congratulatory message to the event. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang attended the event and read out Vice Premier He’s congratulatory message.
In his congratulatory message, Vice Premier He pointed out that not long ago, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Starmer reached important consensus on developing a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UK, opening up new prospects for bilateral relations and cooperation. He expressed the hope that people from all sectors in both countries will continue to carry forward the “icebreaking” spirit, enhance cooperation in trade and investment, green transition, financial services, and scientific and technological innovation, in order to turn the vast potential of China–UK cooperation into real progress and make new and greater contributions to the sustained and steady development of China–UK relations.
In his remarks after reading out the congratulatory message, Ambassador Zheng noted that in the outgoing Year of the Snake, China fulfilled its main annual economic and social development targets, bringing the 14th Five-Year Plan to a successful conclusion. The upcoming Year of the Horse will kick-start the 15th Five-Year Plan. Despite external uncertainties and various risks and challenges, China will resolutely implement the strategic decisions of the Central Economic Work Conference, focus on building a strong domestic market, accelerating the cultivation and expansion of new growth drivers, enhancing the vitality of high-quality development, and expanding high-standard opening up, and firmly work towards its set development goals. China’s development will bring greater happiness and a stronger sense of gain to all Chinese people and create new opportunities for countries around the world.
Prime Minister Starmer’s recent visit to China achieved fruitful results. The important consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Starmer has charted the course for bilateral relations. The governments and businesses of the two countries signed more than 20 agreements. China is ready to work with the UK in the same direction to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and the outcomes of the visit, in order to open up new prospects for China-UK relations and cooperation for the benefit of both peoples and the wider world.
Jack Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group, expressed gratitude for the congratulatory message from Vice Premier He Lifeng and said the 48 Group is ready to continue making new contributions to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the UK. Sir Sebastian Wood, CBBC Chair, Fang Wenjian, CCCUK Chairman, Stephen Perry, Honorary President of the 48 Group, and representatives from Chinese and British companies including AstraZeneca, Rio Tinto, AGIBOT, Octopus Energy and BYD also spoke at the event.
They said that the recent positive progress in China-UK relations serves the interests of the people of both countries, that the potential for economic and trade cooperation between the two sides is enormous and the prospects are bright, and that the business communities should work together to create new highlights of cooperation and contribute to the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations.
