Brexit's impact on China's foreign trade and investment

The spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, Shen Danyang, says Britain's decision to leave the EU will not significantly impact Chinese foreign trade and investment. 

Shen said China respects the British people’s decision, and will closely watch economic developments in Europe after Britain leaves the bloc.

The European Union is China's largest trading partner and an important investment partner. The United Kingdom is China's second largest trading partner among EU countries.
Shen said China is still confident about the future of China-EU trading relations. And China would like to continue to work with both the EU and the UK to deepen economic and political ties.

Shen acknowledged that the Brexit referendum result has shaken international financial markets and created uncertainties for some Chinese companies. But said Beijing believes the impact of Britain's exit from the EU on China's economy will be limited.

He said, "From a mid- and long-term perspective, we believe the impact will not likely last long. The international investment environment will clear up, and there will be a lot of investment opportunities."

"In general, there will be more opportunities for Chinese companies. So, it’s reasonable to believe that foreign investment from Chinese companies will continue on a path of active and steady development."