The heads of three of the largest accounting firms have joined prime minister Gordon Brown's delegation visiting China.

Deloitte chief executive John Connolly, Ernst & Young chairman Mark Otty and KPMG senior partner John Griffith-Jones were invited by Brown to take the trip and promote their business expertise to China's politicians and businesses.

PricewaterhouseCoopers chairman Kieran Poynter was also invited but declined because of a prior engagement.

It is not unusual for large manufacturers to be invited on such delegations, but inviting the UK's leading accountants along suggests that Brown is eager to promote the financial expertise the UK can offer China and other emerging markets.

Brown and the Big Four leaders will be moving on to India to hold similar discussions with Indian authorities.

Providing services to emerging markets has been earmarked as a key revenue driver by the giant firms, who see growth in these markets as vital to increasing their own profits.

Further reading:

Read Accountancy Age editor Gavin Hinks' thoughts on the visit

Otty sets out a global vision for Ernst & Young