Submission statement: UK government moves closer to China as global tensions rise
* UK and China to launch new partnership to expand UK’s world-leading services sector in China
* Responds to requests from UK business to make it easier to operate in China, which will in turn boost economic growth and support jobs at home
* China confirms visa-free travel for Brits visiting China for under 30 days
>Here’s a full list of the agreements signed today, according to Downing Street:
>1. Co-operation on Transnational Organised Crime and Illegal Immigration
>2. Establishment of a Bilateral Services Partnership
>3. Joint Feasibility Study for a UK-China Trade in Services Agreement
>4. Co-operation in the Field of Conformity Assessment
>5. Exports from the UK to China
>6. Strengthening the Work of the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission
>7. Co-operation in Domiciliary Services and Sports Industries
>8. Collaboration in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
>9. Co-operation on Food Safety, Animal, and Plant Quarantine
>10. Health Co-operation
Golda_M on
There’s a moment here, potentially, for China.
The liberal west has been a very good trade partner, in practice, for China. They have thrived for decades by leaning into this partnership.
The realization that (a) China was becoming a US economic rival and (b) economic liberalism was not leading to political liberalism through that whole thing into question.
Now… (a) Many/most of these countries have lost some confidence in liberal universalism and (b) a counter-balance to US power seems like an OK thing.
There is no way to exploit this advantage though, without some serious shifting. Taiwan is somewhat of an albatross for China. The western liberal Free World successor, meanwhile, has no structure or coordination without US leadership. So… This is unlikely to develop based on premeditated strategy.
Imo China (from their perspective) should be *highly* motivated to make this happen. 12 month ago their biggest threat was a united Free World (including Asia) colluding to contain it.
Now there are opportunities for much better outcomes.
China never really stepped up to make something out of BRICs. When sanctions hit Russia… BRICs had nothing of the “dollar alternative” that headlines had been proclaiming for a decade. Russia couldn’t even clear their trade with India.
This is because BRICs is a loser consortium. China is trying to win, not just survive.
UK & Europe, deficits notwithstanding, are capable of creating institutions, financial and institutional infrastructure and such-like. The potential is much higher.
2 Comments
Submission statement: UK government moves closer to China as global tensions rise
* UK and China to launch new partnership to expand UK’s world-leading services sector in China
* Responds to requests from UK business to make it easier to operate in China, which will in turn boost economic growth and support jobs at home
* China confirms visa-free travel for Brits visiting China for under 30 days
>[The agreements signed today by China and UK](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cly9p5kr2q7t?post=asset%3Ab8714557-3180-41c1-9279-08c3dfb0ecc8#post)
>Here’s a full list of the agreements signed today, according to Downing Street:
>1. Co-operation on Transnational Organised Crime and Illegal Immigration
>2. Establishment of a Bilateral Services Partnership
>3. Joint Feasibility Study for a UK-China Trade in Services Agreement
>4. Co-operation in the Field of Conformity Assessment
>5. Exports from the UK to China
>6. Strengthening the Work of the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission
>7. Co-operation in Domiciliary Services and Sports Industries
>8. Collaboration in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
>9. Co-operation on Food Safety, Animal, and Plant Quarantine
>10. Health Co-operation
There’s a moment here, potentially, for China.
The liberal west has been a very good trade partner, in practice, for China. They have thrived for decades by leaning into this partnership.
The realization that (a) China was becoming a US economic rival and (b) economic liberalism was not leading to political liberalism through that whole thing into question.
Now… (a) Many/most of these countries have lost some confidence in liberal universalism and (b) a counter-balance to US power seems like an OK thing.
There is no way to exploit this advantage though, without some serious shifting. Taiwan is somewhat of an albatross for China. The western liberal Free World successor, meanwhile, has no structure or coordination without US leadership. So… This is unlikely to develop based on premeditated strategy.
Imo China (from their perspective) should be *highly* motivated to make this happen. 12 month ago their biggest threat was a united Free World (including Asia) colluding to contain it.
Now there are opportunities for much better outcomes.
China never really stepped up to make something out of BRICs. When sanctions hit Russia… BRICs had nothing of the “dollar alternative” that headlines had been proclaiming for a decade. Russia couldn’t even clear their trade with India.
This is because BRICs is a loser consortium. China is trying to win, not just survive.
UK & Europe, deficits notwithstanding, are capable of creating institutions, financial and institutional infrastructure and such-like. The potential is much higher.