Dr Fox called for an end to the “obsession with criticising Brexit” and insisted the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union “is not a timebomb to be defused”.

He was speaking as he travelled to China to try to improve Britain’s trade and investment ties with Beijing.

He said: “One of my most frequent experiences of 2017 was receiving a positive reception on my international visits with great interest being shown in Britain overseas and an increasing willingness to trade and invest with us.

“This was reflected by the good news back home. In 2017 we announce the highest level of foreign direct investment projects into the UK in our history - a vote of confidence in the future from real investors.”

Dr Fox said interest abroad in investing in post-Brexit Britain was in “stark contrast to the self-defeating pessimism that is too often on show” in the UK from some politicians, pundits and media outlets.

He said: “Attitudes need to change as we go into 2018. Brexit is not a time bomb to be defused, but a great opportunity to be embraced.

“Our international competitors are already out there trying to carve out their slice of the world’s growing markets.

“We need to get beyond the obsession with criticising Brexit, lift our horizons, and be out there, too.”

Mr Fox said establishing an independent trade policy for the UK for the first time in four decades will allow Britain to pursue agreements with nations which the EU does not currently have free trade deals with.

He said: “It is worth remembering that the EU does not have free trade agreements with the US, China, India or the Gulf states, and though we are not able to negotiate new trade agreements while we remain within the EU, we have established 14 trade working groups across 21 countries, to help us prepare for Brexit.”

Dr Fox has faced criticism for the ten of thousands of pounds he has spent flying around the world trying to secure trade deals for the UK.

The trade secretary has clocked up 219,000 air miles, visiting 27 countries and every continent except Antarctica in his 18 months in the job. 

He has been to the US four times and to Geneva four times for meetings at the headquarters of the World Trade Organisation, under whose rules the UK would trade after a hard Brexit. 

In his first six months in the role he flew 54,000 miles with visits to Washington and the Indian cities of Mumbai and Pune.

In his second six months, he flew 65,000 miles which including travel to Hong Kong, Toronto and Manila. 

In the past six months he flew 101,000 miles, including to Mexico City, Tokyo and Sydney.