UKTI, the Government’s export help and advice organisation, has appointed Antoaneta Becker as its new China trade adviser for the South West.
Antoaneta, pictured below, who spent 20 years studying and working in mainland China, will bring a fresh perspective to the region’s long-standing trade relationship with one of the world’s biggest markets and fastest-growing economies.
Antoaneta said: “I am well aware of the difficulties UK companies face in China navigating bureaucratic red tape and frequently-changing regulations. But nevertheless I’m determined to facilitate the China journey for the those regional companies willing to accept the challenge and benefit from the big opportunities.”
The South West economic landscape enjoys many synergies with the industries endorsed and supported by the Chinese government as growth sectors, she said. “The pool of opportunities for both established China market players and newcomers is vast but relatively untapped.
“While the rise of China is easy to acknowledge, businesses constantly need to catch up with the speed and depth of change and development in China’s large and complex market space. Whether selling, trading, investing or franchising, China offers opportunities in abundance to UK companies, large or small.”
Antoaneta first went to China in 1987 as a language student and spent the next 10 years mastering spoken and written Mandarin and learning about China’s history, culture and politics. She studied at Peking University – China’s most prestigious academia – obtaining first a BA and then a MA in Chinese language and modern literature.
In 1997 she joined the team of reporters and researchers of the Economist Intelligence Unit, the research arm of the Economist. Based in Beijing but travelling all over the country, she spent 12 years reporting on China’s macro economic trends, doing field work in different regions and researching specific industries and companies. Fluent in Mandarin, she is versed in the subtleties of building trust and personal rapport in China’s working environment.
