Excitement is building up as the representative of 1.4 billion people pays homage to York with a visit. Why does the Chinese ambassador want to visit England's ancient northern capital now? RON GODFREY speculates.

THE visit by Chinese ambassador, His Excellency Zha Peixin, to York tomorrow comes at a crucial moment, as the city intensifies its links with the most populous and booming country on earth.

What makes the visit especially significant for people like Jeremy Coupland, the overseas business development manager for Yorkshire Forward, is that it comes at the request of the ambassador himself.

Mr Coupland has just returned from Hangzhou, where he has been setting up the regional development agency's first Chinese office.

Tomorrow he will be alongside Professor Tony Robards, pro vice chancellor for external relations at the University of York, to welcome Mr Peixin to York Science Park.

The new Chinese office in a province of 55 million people is one symptom of Yorkshire's growing relationship with China; another is the prospect of York playing host to science-based Chinese business ventures.

All this comes against a background of increasing education links with York, given that there are 800 Chinese students, mostly postgraduates, on courses at the University of York and at York St John College, and they have an active Chinese Students' Association.

The University of York is also a founder member of the Worldwide Universities Network, consisting of 16 universities, including Nanjing and Zhejiang Universities, with which York already has staff exchanges.

Mr Coupland said that the new Chinese office, which will be officially opened next month, was a visible demonstration of Yorkshire Forward's commitment to attract more Chinese investment.

He said: "I hope my meeting with Mr Peixin will build on these efforts and, in time, produce tangible results for Yorkshire and Humber."

The prospect of new Chinese incubator firms starting up in York excites Dave Taylor, marketing director of the inward investment organisation york-england.com.

"York will be an obvious place to featherbed these ventures, given that there was already a large number of Chinese students and intensifying exchanges of information.

"We have had a lot of firms going out to China, but now it is clear that there is a real opportunity for Chinese companies to set up here."

Mr Peixin also arrives in York as several firms in the region announce huge contracts in China, including DSP Architects, the 13-strong practice in St George's Place, York, which is designing Tuan Bo City, a multi-billion pound venture 16 miles south of Tianjin.

Coun Charles Hall, the Lord Mayor of York, who will host a reception for the ambassador at the Mansion House, said that there had been progress in numerous co-operations between China and Britain, politically, economically and academically.

"Some businesses within the city have established links in China to their mutual benefit. I am delighted that I have the opportunity to welcome the Chinese ambassador to York to further strengthen the close relationship between our two countries."

Updated: 10:01 Wednesday, March 31, 2004