If China-UK business relations were led by the works of British companies such as Swire and Barings four decades ago, today the landscape is starkly different.

More than 500 Chinese enterprises have set up offices in the UK, with a total of $21.8 billion invested in projects ranging from traditional sectors, such as trade, finance and telecommunications, to emerging industries like new energy, high-end manufacturing, infrastructure and research centers.

The UK has also become China's second-largest investment destination in the European Union, with China's nonfinancial direct investment in the country last year totaling $1.53 billion, according to Chinese government figures.

Graham stressed that the UK is an attractive destination for Chinese investment, particularly because its high-tech sector can help the Chinese economy achieve its next stage of reform and become a tech-focused and consumption-driven economy.

He cited the example of Chinese carmaker Geely's 2013 acquisition of Manganese Bronze, the maker of London's "black cabs" for more than six decades. After the acquisition, Geely invested 250 million pounds ($319 million) in its UK subsidiary to build a new, state-ofthe-art research, development and assembly facility.

Armed with the combination of Chinese investment and British high-tech manufacturing expertise, Geely now makes electric taxis in the English city of Coventry for global export.