Beijing, Liverpool seek closer business ties in sports, urban renewal

Businesses from Beijing and Liverpool met on Nov. 9 in Beijing to explore partnerships in sports, urban renewal, professional services and artificial intelligence. The roundtable event at Beijing Central Business District (CBD) in Chaoyang district brought a seven-member Liverpool delegation together with representatives of more than 10 Chinese companies and institutions for talks that included one-on-one meetings by sector.

Participants take part in the Beijing-Liverpool Business and Trade Cooperation Roundtable in Chaoyang district, Beijing, Nov. 9, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Meng Fanyong, deputy director of the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau, called for closer cooperation in professional services and sports, pointing to Liverpool's experience in youth soccer and staging major events. He invited Liverpool companies to explore opportunities in Beijing's services sector and said the bureau would help Beijing firms use Liverpool as a gateway to British and European markets.

The talks followed a June visit to Liverpool by a Beijing delegation, during which the bureau signed a memorandum of understanding with Liverpool BID Company, a nonprofit working on behalf of local businesses in three business improvement districts. The agreement established the bureau's first formal channel for working with an organization representing Liverpool businesses.

Later that month, Liverpool BID Company joined other members of the Global Business Districts Innovation Club in signing a wider cooperation framework at the Beijing CBD Forum. Monday's roundtable was the first such event organized by the club's members since the agreement was signed, according to the organizers.

Chen Dai, deputy mayor of Chaoyang district and chair of the club, said the meeting grew out of an earlier commitment to bringing Liverpool businesses to Beijing. She said the club's Asia center, which hosted the roundtable, could bring businesses from other member districts together for similar talks.

Beijing showcased the Chaowai UIC Block, a redevelopment project in Chaoyang, while the Liverpool delegation shared its experience managing business improvement districts.

Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, pointed to opportunities in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and digital technology.

Everton Football Club outlined how sports partnerships could help companies reach new customers. Andrew Middleton, the Premier League club's president of business operations, said Everton could use its stadium and the league's global reach to help Chinese companies enter the British market or reach customers abroad. He also identified working with brands to grow the team's fan base in China as a potential area of cooperation.

Mark Rollings, Everton's chief partnerships officer, said the club wanted to build its stadium into a destination for sports and entertainment and was looking to the roundtable for opportunities to work with Chinese businesses.

After the roundtable, the Liverpool delegation would continue its Beijing tour, including company visits and meetings with local officials across several districts of the city, such as Haidian, Shunyi and Changping.