I'm sure both airports WANT services to China! It's all very well to get excited about the possibility flights from BHX to China but no one has yet thought about where exactly these flights will go to. We are after all talking about the fourth largest country in the world in terms of square kilometres. China is in fact only just shy of being geographically bigger than the whole of Europe.....
The main commercial rationale offered in support of flights from BHX to China on here seems to mostly hang on the JLR/motor industry connection. Where exactly do JLR do business in China in terms of factories and production lines? If not PEK, PVG or HKG I am not sure service to another less well known city will be viable. LHR currently only has non stop service to four Chinese cities and word on the grapevine is that the latest route by BA to Chengdu is not at present loading up very well at all.
Just how many JLR/motor industry staff travel to/from China from BHX on a monthly basis - an A330 or 777 are big birds to fill on what will be primarily O&D traffic alone, even on as little as a twice weekly basis.
There is also renegotiation of the bilateral to think about - personally I think the majority of any extra flights allowed will be out of LHR with BHX and MAN being left to fight over the few slot crumbs left.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a BHX-China service but I'm just thinking of other factors that could affect the chances of such a service starting. Then again who would have thought there would be a double daily BHX-DXB 25 years ago??