A CHINESE real estate tycoon who plans to invest £1bn in the UK is to meet Liverpool representatives to discuss opportunities in the city.

The chairman of the unnamed Beijing property firm is to have face- to-face talks with Mike Taylor, director of investment and enterprise at Liverpool Vision, and Peel’s development director Lindsey Ashworth, within the next fortnight.

The pair have headed the public and private sector involvement in Liverpool’s presence at the World Expo in its sister city, Shanghai. Peel has made no secret of its desire to have a Chinese partner for its ambitious Liverpool and Wirral Waters schemes, while Liverpool Vision is very keen to secure a landmark investment that could open the gates to a number of Chinese investments in the city region.

The talks come after more than a month of contact which has piqued the interest on both sides.

Mr Taylor, who flies out to China next week, said: “This company has Liverpool in its sights. We are going to meet with him to pitch the investment opportunities the city has.”

Liverpool is the only UK city represented at the World Expo, a six-month exhibition that began in May. At the halfway stage, the Expo has recovered from a slightly uncertain start and has now attracted 35m visitors, with the Liverpool Pavilion welcoming more than 400,000 people.