5. Business and Success Stories

With the Chinese community making up 0.4% of the UK’s population, it has made significant contributions to the British economy. Many Chinese companies have invested in the British market, in particular hi-tech companies.

Approximately 125 mainland Chinese businesses have established themselves in the UK, with another 90 plus recently entering the Market. Over the years Britain has become Europe’s biggest investor in China and this was reflected when recently the Shanghai General Electric Group placed its European head office in London. Chinese people have a high self-employment rate, with 19.1% being self-employed in the year 2001-2002. Out of these they had a higher propensity to work in the distribution, hotel and restaurant sectors – 71% did so compared with an overall figure of only 18%.

The Chinese restaurant and take-away is arguably the greatest sector of the Chinese economy, although many new-aged Chinese are treading more professional paths. A few years ago the Chinese take away sector was in decline but there has been some slight resurgence with the introduction of new style restaurants, as the following tables show:

Retail Turnover

£m's	Chinese	Thai
1993	112	19
1995	146	22
1996	170	25
1997	188	33
1998	205	41
1999	225	47
2001	(est)282	(est)57

 Although traditionally the Chinese community has been focused in a few sectors, it has progressed tremendously over the decades. According to one newspaper report, the Chinese people are now the highest earning, best educated people in Britain with the lowest level of unemployment and the highest level of car ownership.