(Yicai) May 27 -- China and the United Kingdom enjoy complementary strengths, and the UK remains open and fair to all Chinese firms seeking to enter its market, according to Peter Burnett, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council.

China excels in some areas, while the UK shines in others, Burnett told Yicai in an interview at the recent UK-China Brand Excellence Summit held in Shanghai.

"The UK is a much smaller market than China, but it's quite a prosperous market. It's also a very open market. We have no deterrent, and we're not imposing tariffs on companies that want to come and invest and trade with us," said the former managing director of Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong.

As a sister event to CBBC’s flagship China Consumer Forum in London, the latest British brand summit in China brought together around 140 professionals from leading local and British consumer brands, as well as representatives from industry associations and government bodies.

China, now the second-largest consumer market in the world, is "a market that cannot be ignored by any company that aspires to be a global brand," Burnett said. He emphasized that Chinese consumers are highly brand-conscious, and the country's vast middle class presents significant opportunities.

For international brands looking to enter China, Burnett underscored the importance of effective social media strategies. “At the social media age, what people like to do is to post online what they're doing rather than what they're wearing or what they're using. And so what matters then is that these brands are delivering experiences, which they can share with their friends and families and colleagues and wider.”

Foreign brands are benefiting from China's digital transformation. "It's making access to the China consumer market a bit easier," Burnett noted. Brands no longer need to secure physical retail space, hire shop assistants, design store layouts, or rely on foot traffic. "Now you can do this online, so it requires a different set of techniques," he added.

Fortunately, foreign brands have access to a wide range of local go-to-market services. China offers robust support, with social media platforms eager to partner with British brands and local governments actively working to attract and promote international businesses, Burnett concluded.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine