Business leaders and officials from Guernsey are set to travel to India and China in the second half of the year in a bid to build financial services links with the two leading Asian economies.

The visits will include governmental engagements, meetings with regulators, industry associations and leading business introducers, as well as a series of networking opportunities through specific Guernsey events. Deputy Carla McNulty Bauer, the minister for commerce and employment development, will lead the delegation to Mumbai in October, while Deputy Lyndon Trott, the chief minister, will lead the delegation of Shanghai and Beijing in November.

"The Island needs to make sure that it maintains its profile in centres such as London, which remains our principal source of new business and indeed the UK more widely, while also developing relationships in emerging markets such as China and India," said Peter Niven, the chief executive of Guernsey Finance, in a statement. Guernsey Finance is the promotional agency for the Island's finance industry.

"The multiple visits during the coming months will enhance relationships with the government, regulators, professional associations and individual companies, providing the Island’s firms with a smoother path for doing business in those countries," added Niven.

Guernsey already has a representative office in China, which it set up over two and a half years ago. In India, however, the upcoming visits will be its first official marketing activity.