House of Fraser will sell Chinese brands to British consumers as part of a Beijing initiative to boost trade in the region.

The beleaguered department store’s owner, Chinese conglomerate Sanpower, revealed the programme at its global supplier conference in Nanjing, China, the site of its corporate headquarters.

It is designed to support the $1trn Belt and Road government programme, which was launched in 2013, and aims to bring products and premium brands to new markets.

House of Fraser’s UK global product sourcing director Simon Pickering said: “The traditional image associated with Made in China is changing. Increasing numbers of high-quality Chinese products are becoming popular with British and European consumers.

“Once these products enter House of Fraser’s sales channel, they will be able to access Europe and the greater global market, given quality and credit endorsement from House of Fraser.

”Furthermore, consolidating our global supply network through made-in-China products and Chinese brands will support House of Fraser in further boosting sales and competitiveness.”

House of Fraser has endured a torrid few months, with falling sales, emergency cash calls and pleas for rent reductions with landlords all hitting the headlines.