Summary:

• 🇬🇧🇨🇳 UK’s Position on China: Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says the UK must engage directly with China. What does it entail? How will this affect your business decision on China? Tell us what you think.

• 👨‍🌾 Chinese sector insight: Agritech – what are the potential business opportunities in China for UK companies?

• ✈️ Ting’s Blog Part Two – Ting takes you to the Greater Bay Area (GBA), one of China’s most dynamic economic regions. 

HOT TOPIC: UK’s Position on China

The Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, set out the UK government’s position on China. Breaking from tradition, Mr. Cleverly focused on China only, instead of addressing a broad range of foreign policies, in his keynote address at the Lord Mayor’s Easter Banquet in London this week.

In the speech titled “Our Policy on China” ,  Mr. Cleverly stressed that the UK must engage directly with China, as isolating the country is a ‘betrayal’ of national interest, and global problems can’t be solved without China. And UK is capable of such engagement, he said.

Engaging directly with China is one the “three pillars” of the multifaceted China policy he spelt out in the speech. The other two pillars are: to strengthen national security protections whenever Beijing poses a threat, and to deepen cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region to uphold international law.

Mr. Cleverly argued that one-word or single phrase is far from enough to describe in full a country of China’s history, scale and complexity. It’s impossible, impractical and unwise to summarise China with single words or phrases, such as threat, partner or adversary.

Disagreements are inevitable but conflicts are not, he said.

“It would be clear and easy – perhaps even satisfying – for me to declare a new Cold War and say that our goal is to isolate China.

“Clear, easy, satisfying – and wrong. Because it would be a betrayal of our national interest and a wilful misunderstanding of the modern world.”

In conclusion, Mr. Cleverly said: “So our approach to China must combine all of these currents, protecting our national security, aligning with our friends, engaging and trading with China where our interests converge, avoiding policy by soundbite, and always standing up for the universal values which Britain holds dear.”

On Trade and investment relationship with China, the Foreign Secretary said:

“Our policy is to engage directly with China, bilaterally and multilaterally, to preserve and create open, constructive and stable relations, reflecting China’s global importance.

We believe in a positive trade and investment relationship, whilst avoiding dependencies in critical supply chains. We want British companies to do business with China – just as American, ASEAN, Australian and EU companies currently do – and we will support their efforts to make the terms work for both sides, pushing for a level playing field and fairer competition.

We have an interest in continuing to benefit from Chinese investment, but we don’t want the long arm of the Chinese Communist Party reaching towards the central nervous system of our country.In the past, we haven’t always struck the perfect balance between openness and security. Now we are gaining the right legal powers to safeguard what we must and be open where we can.”

The full speech can be found on gov.uk

CHINA SECTOR INSIGHT: AgriTech

With its vast population and limited arable land, agriculture continues to be a critical sector for China’s economy and food security. As a result, China will continue to increase its agricultural innovation for many years to come. But what are China’s policies and strategies to promote its growth? Read about China and the UK’s recent science and technology innovations in agri-tech and potential business opportunities in China for UK companies in our latest China Sector Insight.

Ting’s Whirlwind trip to China (PART TWO)

📒 Part Two blog about her recent China trip findings by our Founder and CEO Ting Zhang, focusing on the Greater Bay Area and featuring four cities: 👇

#Shenzhen: the Tech Capital of China

#Guangzhou: Home to China’s Oldest Trading Port

#Zhuhai & #Hengqin: A New Model for Diversification

#HongKong: Where East Meets West

To read the full blog, on our website Insight page or via LinkedIn article.