The north of England will forge new partnerships with China and unlock the potential of the Northern Powerhouse that will boost economiv growth and create new jobs.

The announcement comes as the Prime Minister and Chinese President, Xi Jinping, embark upon a tour of Manchester, as part of the China State Visit.

The Prime Minister said: “We are committed to rebalancing our economy and building a Northern Powerhouse.

“China is a key trading partner for the UK and the partnerships being made today will see real investment going into the north.

“This is all part of this government’s plan to attract more investment and deliver economic growth to an area of huge potential.”

Partnerships set to be agreed include:

• Hainan Airlines announcing the first direct flights from Manchester Airport to China – the first outside London. The deal is estimated to provide a £50 million boost to the Manchester economy and open up links from China into the Northern Powerhouse.

• Beijing Construction and Engineering Group (BCEG) being appointed as main contractor for the Middlewood Locks regeneration project in Manchester.

• As announced on the Chancellor’s visit to China last month, Hualing Group is signing an agreement with UK real estate company Scarborough Group International to invest in 3 major regeneration projects in the north: Middlewood Locks in Manchester, Thorpe Park in Leeds and Sheffield Digital Campus.

• The University of Central Lancashire establishing a joint innovation and entrepreneurship competition with the Shenzhen government in south eastern China

• Uppingham School in Rutland setting up 5 schools in China in a partnership with Hainan Airline and Tourism Group.

• Hong Kong based company Netdragon Websoft finalising the acquisition of the educational supplies company Promethean World Plc, based in Blackburn, for £84.8 million, securing 671 jobs.