Britain will double its exports to China to 10 billion pounds this year, the country's minister of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) said on Tuesday in London.

"And we want to achieve the bilateral trade equality by 2010," said Lord Mervyn Davies CBE. "For British companies' investment in China, we will also see a similar increase."

Britain is Europe's biggest investor in China, with investments of 15 billion pounds last year alone.

Despite the financial crisis, Davies said most British enterprises' commitments to China will see no change.

"If you talk to Lloyd's, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Prudential, all have expansion plans in China this year," Davies added.

(China Daily March 24, 2009)