Dou Tsang, sales and export coordinator at the UK-based Ford Aerospace Ltd (right), talks with Zhou Xiaoming, minister counselor with the economic and commercial office at the Chinese embassy in London. [Provided to China Daily]

Companies in Northeast England make concerted effort to build relations

Cities in Northeast England are collectively strengthening their ties with China, using their industrial and advanced technology strength to fuel China's economic growth.

The region, home to much of England's Industrial Revolution, boasts excellent manufacturing and engineering strength and skills. As well, the northeast's strong education is also attracting many Chinese students and joint research projects.

The government agency UK Trade and Investment says the region has three percent of the active enterprises in the United Kingdom, that its exports were worth 12 billion pounds ($19.6 billion) last year, and that it is the only English region with a positive balance of trade, of a little more than 4 billion pounds.

Dave Sidlow, managing director of Palintest

Despite the great number of export businesses in the region, exports to China still rank 16th out of all the countries the region exports to, but this trend is now changing as local businesses are increasingly realizing the huge market in China.

One company making huge inroads in China is Palintest, of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, which makes advanced water and environmental testing equipment and exports it to more than 100 countries.

It entered China about eight years ago and now has eight employees－three technical staff and five sales staff－in regions where it has offices, in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu.

"We have developed a range of products specifically designed to meet the requirements of local Chinese applications," says Managing Director Dave Sidlow, adding that the value of Palintest's sales in China is on target to reach 1 million pounds this year.

In China, Palintest focuses on testing the quality of water for rural water projects, public swimming pools and aquatic facilities, domestic water purification system suppliers, industrial effluent, environmental protection and bottled water.

During the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Palintest helped to test the quality of the water in the swimming pools used by the athletes.

Sidlow says one major project Palintest is working on is testing the quality of rural drinking water. His team is discussing sales of water testing equipment with rural governments.

"As a part of the Chinese government's latest Five-Year Plan (2011-15), improving rural water supply quality is said to be an important goal. Many rural governments are investing heavily in improving water quality, and our equipment can help them measure progress."

Sidlow says China is Palintest's third-largest export market, but it is probably the fastest-growing market. Seventy percent of Palintest's sales are generated from exports, and last year the company received The Queen's Award for International Trade.

Another manufacturing company making great progress in China is Cottam Brush, of South Tyneside, which makes brushes of all types, from domestic to high tech for oil and gas. Established as a family business in 1958, the company has used a Chinese supply chain in recent years as its business has grown.

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