On a visit to Beijing to drum up Chinese investment, the Chancellor has told Sky News that British workers should view China's new-found wealth as an opportunity.
Over the last three decades, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of British jobs have been lost to Asia.
But George Osborne said that British workers can benefit from an increasingly cashed-up China.
"Whether it's AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN.L - news) making modern pharmaceuticals, Airbus (Paris: NL0000235190 - news) wings from North Wales, Rolls Royce (LSE: RR.L - news) engines in Derby, or Burberry clothing in Yorkshire - those are all things that create jobs in Britain, and products we can sell to the Chinese," he said.
The Chancellor's visit to China comes as economic forecasters warn that the UK may be slipping back into recession.
Mr Osborne also said that British companies could do more to exploit China's fast-growing economy.
To drive his point home, the Chancellor visited the site of a planned £600m luxury shopping centre that will be built by a subsidiary of a British company.
Many foreign companies operating in China complain of increasing protectionism on the part of the Chinese authorities.
Alistair Thornton, of IHS Global Insight in Beijing, said: "It's quite clear to anyone on the ground here that the Chinese government has not set up the economy to help foreign companies make money.
"Many companies feel discriminated against and feel that the playing field is tilted against them."
But the Chancellor seemed to downplay such concerns, saying: "China and Britain have a similar agenda - despite our very different political systems and culture and history - in trying to ensure that free trade continues to grow in the world."
Mr Osborne will use his meetings with senior figures in China's financial sector to encourage investment in British infrastructure.
As part of the government's National Infrastructure Plan, Britain is seeking Chinese investment in everything from wind farms and roads to new rail networks and urban regeneration projects.
Although no investment has so far been forthcoming from the Chinese mainland, officials say the Chancellor is trying to achieve the right "political alignment" during his visit.
This points to the fact that China's government-owned sovereign wealth funds are seen as likely investors.
But the Chancellor's plan to see Britain become "the home of Asian investment" comes as China's economy begins to show deep fault lines.
Falling house prices, a slump in export growth and high inflation have led some to foresee a looming crash.
GDP figures published on Tuesday showed growth in China has reached its slowest pace for two and a half years.
The economy grew by 8.9% in the fourth quarter of 2011, the lowest level since 2009 and a fourth consecutive quarterly drop.
Mr Osborne brushed off such concerns, saying: "Sometimes I wish Britain could have some of China's problems, of whether growth is 8% or 10% a year."
Others are less optimistic.
"The problem here is that most of the very impressive growth that we've seen here in China is driven by an investment boom that is not sustainable," said Professor Patrick Chovanec of Qinghua University.
"China's pumped up its economy on steroids, and inevitably there's a crash."
Mr Osborne's visit to Beijing is part of a three-day trip to the Far East.
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