That said, I too can't see BHX getting a direct China scheduled service in the next 12 months.
Last year we had nothing re China, this year we had China Southern charters which, by all accounts, were highly successful.
Maybe not to Peking, maybe not in 12 months. Possibly in the longer term: Canton (China Southern) or Shanghai (China Eastern), who knows how it may turn out, many non-aviation factors may determine this (e.g. future trade levels, changing visa requirements, Heathrow expansion (or not)).