SURREY University welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai and a high-ranking delegation, in his first visit to the county.

The vice-premier visited the university’s 5G Innovation Centre and university spin-out Surrey Satellite Technology Limited as part of his UK tour to forge closer strategic and economic partnerships.

The university’s world-leading 5G Innovation Centre, backed by Chinese multinational company Huawei, is to develop a global 5G network and has already developed a technology that enables speeds of one terabit per second - more than 1,000 times faster than the highest 4G speed.

Surrey Satellite Technology is the world’s premier provider of operational and commercial satellite programmes.

Professor Max Lu, university president and vice-chancellor, said: “We are delighted that vice-premier Ma and his colleagues were able to visit the University of Surrey.

“We have a rich heritage and are proud of our strong links with China.

“UK-China relationships are now more important than ever and the future of higher education depends heavily on collaboration and the sharing of expertise.

“With more than 1,300 Chinese students currently enrolled at the university, Surrey also enjoys fruitful partnerships with China, including the Surrey International Institute, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2017.

“It is a joint campus with Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, widely considered to be an example of best practice of trans-national education collaboration.”