The Jiangsu Province Advantage
• The Essex-Jiangsu Link
• Business Opportunities in Jiangsu Province
• Jiangsu’s Essex-Based UK Representative

Essex has always been strongly international in its outlook and economy, and in pursuing its lead role in promoting the county’s economic, social and environmental well-being, Essex County Council recognised some time ago the scale and importance of China’s emergence as an economic giant.  We began our collaboration with the Jiangsu Provincial Government in 1988 and the link was formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding in 1992. 

The Essex-Jiangsu Partnership is based on the recognition by both sides that it is local governments that must take the leading role in improving their areas and that this can be helped by working with equally committed partners abroad on mutually agreed priorities.  Over the years Essex and Jiangsu have developed enduring working relationships on many levels, in many departments and in many different cities, helping to deliver successful collaboration and tangible results in the areas of trade, investment and higher and secondary education.

Getting results
In 2006/7 thirty Essex businesses were helped to find new market opportunities in Jiangsu, including three Essex companies that have since set up operations in the Province.  Over sixty Essex schools are now actively engaged in curriculum links with Jiangsu schools and there has been a successful drive to promote the teaching of Mandarin in Essex.  There are also strong links and student and faculty exchanges between Essex and Jiangsu universities. 

Essex County Council’s four priorities for our partnership with Jiangsu Province
1. Increasing exports, inward investment and the creation of links between higher education institutions and hi-tech businesses. 
2. Preparing Essex’s younger generation to take advantage of opportunities in China by facilitating more links between schools, promoting the teaching of Mandarin and developing teachers and education leaders in Essex and Jiangsu
3. Promoting tourism and maximising the benefits to Essex of the 2012 Olympics
4. Sharing best practice and resources to help tackle global/local environmental challenges, including promoting business partnerships in the environmental technology sector

Our number one priority: increasing two-way trade and investment
Essex and Jiangsu have set up offices in each other’s region to promote the two-way flow of trade and investment.  Essex County Council employs a full-time Jiangsu business development manager with experience of living and working in China to help businesses.  Jiangsu has its UK Representative in Chelmsford, Essex.  Using our combined resources and expertise, and with our key partners (UK Trade & Investment and the China-Britain Business Council), we help Essex businesses and organisations find and convert opportunities in China generally and Jiangsu Province in particular.  Visit the Services and Support page for more information.

We also work closely with the Jiangsu Provincial Government to identify Jiangsu companies that would like to invest in Essex.