Lord Pearson, a patron of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine in the UK, prompted laughter from peers by suggesting he had "benefited much from it over the years".

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But the RSC has since said it recognises that the lack of visibility for Chinese and east Asian actors in the UK is a serious issue and wants to set up a forum for debate of the issue.

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The Bank of England is in negotiations with its Chinese counterpart on a deal likely to boost trade between the UK and China in the yuan.

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"This was a massive coup for the UK capital, showing not only the high esteem in which Chinese businesses hold British skills, but also the big retail opportunity that the UK represents, " he wrote.

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But the Chinese will be represented in the latter stages of the tournament by UK champion Ding, who beat Nottingham potter Anthony Hamilton 5-3.

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Jimmy Zhang from Titicaca Travel, a Chinese travel company specialising in trips to the UK, says that Blackpool has not been a popular request as part of an itinerary for Chinese tour groups.

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Mae, whose full name is Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson was born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and a Thai father but was brought up in the UK when her mother remarried a Briton.

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In other words, and as Mr Wen implied, MG's importance is as a symbol of the kind of investment China wishes to make in the UK, to transform Chinese companies into owners of valuable brands rather than just sub-contractors for western businesses.

BBC: Chinese Premier backing the euro and the UK