"The share of UK exports going to the BRICs has the potential to double to around 16 percent by 2030. "

But to achieve this British companies need to up their game relative to US, German and French rivals who have so far done better in exporting to countries like China and India, he noted.

"China is a huge market with more than a billion people and it is likely to become increasing richer market as you get growing middle class people with rising wages and rising spending," Hawksworth said.

He said China is attractive to British retailers to open shops there. Speaking of Britain's comparative advantages, Hawksworth listed several areas Britain and China have great potentials to explore, including education, health care, Chinese traditional medicine, technologies and air space.

"Britain has a number of attraction to China. It's also a big market itself and also a good gateway to Europe, " he said.

"If you invest in Britain that could allow you to export to the rest of Europe," he said.

Hawksworth has carried out economic consultancy assignments for a wide range of public and private sector organizations both in Britain and overseas over the past 20 years. Clients include several British government departments, the World Bank, the European Commission, government ministries in Turkey and Ukraine.