"We know in the UK that the country is not just about London and that anybody visiting the UK will quickly find out there is a lot more to it. We are trying to encourage exposure of other parts of the UK, and in the same way when we visit Beijing, it is important that we also go to other second- and third-tier cities," he says.

"What we are saying is that relations between the UK and China now go beyond the two national legislatures. For example we have good relations with Jiangsu province. Guangdong province has sent delegations here. It was originally just national legislatures, but now it's provincial ones as well. There is a much more regional element to it," Hendrick says.

Taking the UK's relationship with China to a more advanced level is very much at the heart of Hendrick's work at the APPG. He is keen to highlight that it is only recently that senior British politicians stood up and took notice of the importance of the relationship.

"Until recently the government would get in academics or business people to discuss China, and sit around the table with them having a nice big dinner and a glass of wine. What I'm trying to do with the group now is to make it much more outward looking, make it a lot more proactive in terms of addressing some of the big issues the country faces in its relationship with China," he says.

"So for example, I hosted a roundtable event here on the renminbi and we had speakers from the People's Bank of China, the Bank of China, HSBC and others discussing the renminbi and its future in the global financial architecture. It was a very successful conference, attended by academics, businesspeople and members of both houses."

Hendrick sees such events as crucial to forming a view of China that is more accurate than the one portrayed in much of the mainstream media, which he criticizes for putting a negative spin on the China debate.

"I want to host events where we can connect with people from business and academia, so that they can get a more accurate view of China. I think there are a lot of good things going on in China, a lot of positives between the UK and China that needs to be highlighted."

There are signs that senior British politicians are beginning to take note. Earlier this year, William Hague, the foreign secretary, announced a shift in the UK's diplomatic services, with resources being diverted away from Europe toward India and China. The UK will send at least 50 more envoys to Beijing by 2015.

It is hoped that such an investment will pay dividends in terms of improved prospects for UK businesses in China. Last year, Prime Minister David Cameron led a trade delegation to the country that helped secure a series of major contracts, including an 835-million-euro deal for Rolls-Royce.

"When you look at Germany or France they have often sent their chancellor or president with major companies on trade delegations. In the past we've not been as proactive as many of our competitors in Europe, so I think it's good that David Cameron has done this and he's doing as much as possible to increase trade and economic cooperation."

Hendrick himself is no stranger to the precedents set by Germany and France in their dealings with China, having served in the European Parliament in the 1990s. But he still sees the value of China-UK links aside from the Europe-wide relationship. He recalls a discussion with Fu Ying, now deputy foreign minister in China, while she was serving as the Chinese ambassador to the UK.

"I asked Fu Ying whether China saw its relationship with Britain principally through bilateral relations, and she said that until the EU starts to speak with one voice, then the bilateral relationship will be seen from the Chinese point of view as the most important.

"A lot of bilateral issues are important, for example Britain's educational links with China. Around 100,000 Chinese students study here and they are very important to our universities. This relationship has been successful for both Britain and China."

Regardless, Hendrick is under no illusions that the APPG has a lot of work to do to both consolidate and build upon the UK's ties with China. "While we have a great relationship with the United States and a good relationship in Europe, I think it's very important for our future prosperity that we encourage good relations with China," Hendrick says.

"I think the Olympics in 2008 and then the Shanghai Expo last year have been phenomenal in terms of presenting the world with a very much more modern view of China. Until a few years ago, many people in Britain probably thought most Chinese people rode around on a bicycle. On the other hand many Chinese people thought English people walk around in bowler hats all the time. We need to do as much as possible to break these stereotypes down," he says.