British Trade Minister, Lord Jones of Birmingham, has given LTI Vehicles a major boost by traveling around China and the city of Beijing in the world famous London Taxi.

Lord Jones (right in the photo) opted for the distinctive purpose-built taxi while heading a UK trade delegation to Beijing during the Olympics. An iconic symbol of London, the taxi was used to promote a deal signed earlier this year with Chinese manufacturer Geely. The joint venture sees the London Taxi manufactured in China for sale to the Asian market.

A spokesman for UK Trade & Investment said: "The London Taxi has obvious practical benefits in that it is accessible for all. This deal is an example of the opportunities available in China.”

John Russell, Chief Executive of LTI's parent company Manganese Bronze, said: "Advance interest for the international variant of the TX4 is exceeding our expectations. These are exciting times for the company as our joint venture looks set to take our vehicles to a wider audience than ever before.

"The London Taxi offers businesses and their passengers a professional form of transport that is designed to offer unrivalled levels of comfort, safety and accessibility. We're delighted that Lord Jones chose the London Taxi to not only promote our deal with Geely but also to represent London by traveling in an internationally recognised symbol of the 2012 Olympic city."

Since initial enquiries for the London Taxi were made by customers, the firm has signed Memorandums of Understanding for over 6,000 vehicles to be delievered in the next three years.

Before full-scale production gets under way, 50 of the cabs will be distributed to taxi firms in Beijing for use at the Paralympics. The first ten cabs were delivered to taxi companies in Beijing and the Paralympic Organising Committee at a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong in June.