2015年10月21日，在习近平主席对英国进行国事访问期间，我部高虎城部长与英国商业、创新与技能大臣贾维德共同签署了两部《关于加强中英两国地方贸易投资合作的谅解备忘录》（以下简称备忘录）。这是中国与欧盟国家第一次签署加强两国地方经贸合作的谅解备忘录，对拓展两国的共同利益，深化中英经贸关系合作，引领中欧在该领域合作具有十分重要的意义。《备忘录》确定成立中英地方合作联合工作组（以下简称工作组），商务部和英国商业、创新与技能部为联合工作组牵头单位，商务部投资促进事务局和英国贸易投资总署为联合工作组双方秘书处。

　　为做好高访经贸成果的落实，根据《备忘录》内容要求，中英双方积极组建中英地方联合工作组。按照“有合作基础、有合作意愿、有合作实力”的原则，2015年12月中方选定南昌市、青岛市、宁波市和徐州市作为联合工作组中方首批成员单位。2016年1月，英方初步确定威尔士、苏格兰、北爱尔兰、英格兰的“北部振兴计划”及“中部引擎”规划所辖城市群为英方成员。

　　工作组第一次会议于2016年2月26日，与中英经贸联委会第12次会议同期在英国伯明翰市召开。我局与英中贸易协会共同承办工作组第一次全体会议。中方成员城市青岛市、宁波市、南昌市和徐州市领导，英方英格兰、威尔士、苏格兰、北爱尔兰区域代表在论坛上分别介绍了城市和区域的投资环境、产业优势、发展方向和合作意向等。中英地方政府和企业代表约260人参会。会后，双方举办中英地方合作对接洽谈会，地方城市和企业进行务实高效的“一对一”洽谈，48家中方企业共与英方企业对接约200批次。高虎城部长和英国商业、创新与技能部贾维德大臣共同出席第一次会议闭幕式并发表讲话。

On October 21, 2015 when Chinese president Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the UK, Chinese Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng signed with the British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Sajid Javid two Memorandums of Understanding between China and the UK on Strengthening Bilateral Local Trade and Investment Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as MoUs). This was the first time that MoUs were signed by China and an EU country on strengthening local economic and trade cooperation, which is of great significance in expanding common interests, deepening the trade and investment cooperation between China and the UK and setting a fine example for conducting China-Europe cooperation in this field. According to the MoUs, a joint work group was established. China’s Ministry of Commerce and the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills were assigned as the lead units of the joint work group. China Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA) and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) were designated as the secretariats of the work group.
In order to consolidate the outcomes of the bilateral high-level trade talks, China and the UK proactively set up the work group in line with the MoUs. Based on the evaluation of the base, willingness and strength for cooperation, in December 2015, Qingdao, Ningbo, Nanchang, and Xuzhou were designated as the first batch of Chinese pilot cities for the China-UK local cooperation. In January 2016, the city clusters in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England covered by the “Northern Powerhouse” and the “Midlands Engine” initiatives were designated as British counterparts.
The first Meeting of China-UK Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Work Group was held on February 26, 2016, concurrently when the 12th Meeting of China-UK Joint Trade and Economic Committee was held in Birmingham. The CIPA and the UKTI jointly hosted the first meeting. Government officials from Qingdao, Ningbo, Nanchang and Xuzhou and representatives from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland introduced the investment environment, industrial advantages, direction of development and cooperation intentions of the cities and regions at the forum. Also attending were around 260 entrepreneurs and officials from local governments in China and the UK. After the meeting was concluded，a side event on enhancing China-UK regional cooperation was also held, during which local cities and enterprises had pragmatic and efficient “one-to-one” negotiations and over 200 meets between 48 Chinese enterprises and their counterparts in the UK were witnessed. Gao Hucheng and Sajid Javid attended the closing ceremony of the first meeting and delivered speeches.