A TRADE mission to China in November is giving local businesses a unique opportunity.

It is the first time Enterprise Europe Network North West (EENW) has supported north west small and medium sized enterprises.

So far, 12 businesses have signed up for the visit.

Philomena Chen, head of Asia Pacific Business Development at UKTI North West, said: “China is the great economic success story of the past 30 years.

“Growth has been sustained and the economy grew by almost nine per cent in 2012.

“Attending this mission is an ideal way to explore the market, whether selling, trading, investing or franchising, and businesses that attend can take advantage of bespoke and detailed market information, warm leads and one-to-one meetings with experts based in embassies and consulates throughout China.”

This multi-sector mission will include visits to Shanghai, China’s commercial and financial centre and largest city by population; Chengdu, a centre of logistics, commerce, finance, science and technology, fast becoming one of the favourite cities for investment in western China; and Chongqing, a major manufacturing and transport hub in the south west of China.

Rodolphe Soulard, senior european business adviser at EENW, said: “China has never been hotter on the agenda. There have been two missions to China recently – one led by the Chancellor George Osborne, and the other by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. This led to an investment of £800m to develop Manchester’s ‘Airport City’.