The supply of pig meat, poultry genetics and breeding pigs were all part of total deals worth £1.4 billion announced by UK and Chinese firms during the visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the UK on Monday.

These deals mark the next steps in the growing commercial relationship between the UK and China, and are expected to be worth at least a further £1.5 billion in future.

Following successful discussions between both governments, five plants have been given the green light to export pork products to China, representing a potential £25 million-a-year boost to the UK industry.

UK pig breeders continue to benefit from the UK-China Swine Protocol signed by Dr Cable last autumn, with JSR genetics signing a £1 million plus deal to supply breeding pigs to China.

An agreement that poultry exports can restart sees the resumption of trade, worth around £10 million a year, which will help to safeguard UK jobs and livelihoods.

Nottingham University announced a Memorandum of Understanding with New Hope Group, which will strengthen ties to the two organisations in the agri-food sector, leading to the establishment of partnership agreements for knowledge transfer, collaborative research, training and education.

With annual sales of around $6.5 billion, New Hope Group is the leading agribusiness operator in China, with more than 380 subsidiaries and over 60,000 employees, as well as overseas operation.

University College London and Tianguan Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of a biogas research facility near Nanyang.

Professor Michael Worton, Vice-Provost of UCL said: “We are excited by the opportunity to link our world-leading research with a major bioenergy company in China in an innovative approach to collaborative working to help change the direction of energy technology.”

The Prime Minister, David Cameron said: "China's economic progress is creating huge opportunities for the UK. As our economies become increasingly complementary, the UK has the goods and services, experience and skills to match China’s ambition to move up the value chain.

"Since my visit last November UK exports of goods to China have increased by more than a fifth and I’m delighted that today’s summit has seen new deals signed worth another £1.4 billion. Building on this trade and investment will mean jobs, growth and prosperity for us all."

Mr Cameron also announced that the Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Stephen Green, will lead a formal dialogue between UK Trade & Investment and China's National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) as part of a UK-NDRC Ministerial Exchange on Economic Growth & Cooperation.

The NDRC is responsible for developing and implementing China's Five-Year Plan as well as much business regulation, including that related to inward investment. This new dialogue is intended to improve trading links and to increase bilateral trade. It will be held alongside the existing high-level UK-China Economic & Financial Dialogue, which is expected to take place in London in autumn 2011.