logo
UK names son of ex-Hong Kong governor as ambassador to China

UK names son of ex-Hong Kong governor as ambassador to China

Straits Times16-05-2025

Mr Peter Wilson, a Mandarin speaker, is a senior diplomat who has held the posts of ambassador to Brazil and the Netherlands. PHOTO: REUTERS
UK names son of ex-Hong Kong governor as ambassador to China
LONDON - Britain named the son of a former governor of Hong Kong as its new ambassador to China on May 16, weeks before London is due to release an audit of its relations with Beijing.
Mr Peter Wilson, a Mandarin speaker, is a senior diplomat who has held the posts of ambassador to Brazil and the Netherlands, director-general for Europe at the foreign office and principal private secretary to the prime minister under Boris Johnson.
Reuters first reported his selection as future ambassador to China in February.
His father David Wilson was governor of Hong Kong, then a British colony, from 1987-1992.
'For my country, China has always been as much an opportunity as a threat, and I think that remains true today,' Mr Peter Wilson told a panel at the Asia Society in 2017.
Britain's Labour government aims to boost diplomatic engagement with China after years of tensions under previous Conservative governments over human rights, Hong Kong and restrictions on investment.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also been pursuing post-Brexit trade deals to boost a stagnant economy.
He struck a tariff-lowering deal with US President Donald Trump last week, cast by Beijing as a move that could squeeze Chinese products out of Britain.
Preparations are being made for Mr Starmer to visit China in 2025, Reuters has reported, the first such visit by a British leader since 2018.
An audit which Mr Starmer's government says will be the first in-depth appraisal of Britain's relationship with China is expected to be released in early June, according to sources. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chinese tourists ramp up European summer trips, as Americans cut back
Chinese tourists ramp up European summer trips, as Americans cut back

Straits Times

time28 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Chinese tourists ramp up European summer trips, as Americans cut back

Overall, Chinese tourists are being tighter with their budgets than most of their global counterparts. PHOTO: REUTERS Newly cost-sensitive Americans may be hitting the breaks on their big European vacations this summer, but another group is taking up the slack: Chinese travellers. According to a survey about long-haul trips the European Travel Commission (ETC) is publishing on June 10, which was previewed exclusively with Bloomberg, 72 per cent of Chinese respondents say they plan to travel to Europe this summer – up 10 per cent from 2024. The figures reflect the highest demand from Chinese travellers since the pandemic. That should elicit a sigh of relief for hoteliers, restaurateurs and other business owners across the continent who depend on big-spending foreign tourists. Before Chinese outbound tourism ground to a halt in 2020, it represented a particularly lucrative sector in Europe, with Chinese travellers coming in second to Americans in spending. Chinese tourists spent US$251 billion (S$323 billion) abroad in 2024, according to UN tourism, surpassing pre-2020 levels. That makes China the largest market in terms of overall tourism spending, even if until recently most of this revenue was spent on trips within Asia. But there's a significant catch in ETC's findings: Chinese tourists do not plan to spend like they used to. That is notable, given the group's previous propensity for luxury shopping. In fact, just 29 per cent of respondents say they plan to spend more than €200 ($290) per day, a 44 per cent drop compared to last summer, and a majority of Chinese travelers – 54 per cent – plan to limit their budgets between €100 to €200 a day. Even still, at least 53 per cent of Chinese respondents in ETC's report indicate shopping will play at least some role on their trips, and budgets are more generous among business travellers, 36 per cent of whom expect to spend more than €200 a day. Overall, Chinese tourists are being tighter with their budgets than most of their global counterparts. The ETC's survey queried 7,100 long-haul travellers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea and the US about their summer travel intentions – and results show that a total of 11 per cent of travellers to Europe will be lowering their spending this summer. The overall ratio of travellers spending only €100 to €200 per day – 40 per cent – was lower than the Chinese traveller percentages. The reality is that in a climate of economic uncertainty, few travellers are splurging – regardless of their origins. That is echoed in data from the World Travel & Tourism Council showing that tourism growth is expected to slow sharply in 2025. Only a third of the ETC's American respondents are planning trips to Europe this summer, which is 7 per cent fewer than in 2024. And yet another three markets surveyed in the ETC report – Brazil, Canada and Japan – are on the decline, to a lesser degree. High travel costs and plans to vacation locally are the primary deterrents. Mr Eduardo Santander, chief executive officer of the ETC, sees reasons for optimism. 'While recovery from China has been more gradual than other long-haul markets, momentum is clearly building,' he said. Building back business with these travelers, he added, 'remains a top priority for many European destinations.' In other words, it's a relief that Chinese travellers are coming at all. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Israel set to deport Greta Thunberg, other activists, ministry says, World News
Israel set to deport Greta Thunberg, other activists, ministry says, World News

AsiaOne

time38 minutes ago

  • AsiaOne

Israel set to deport Greta Thunberg, other activists, ministry says, World News

JERUSALEM — Greta Thunberg and other pro-Palestinian activists have been taken to Tel Aviv airport ahead of their deportation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (June 10), after the Israeli navy prevented them from sailing to Gaza. Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday, trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Swedish campaigner Thunberg. The British-flagged yacht was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod and the foreign ministry said the activists were transferred overnight to Ben Gurion airport. "Some of the 'Selfie Yacht' passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours," the ministry said in a statement. "Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorise their deportation." Consular representatives from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport, it added. The activists had been carrying a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, and said they wanted to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been devastated by months of war. Israel dismissed the voyage as a pro-Hamas publicity stunt. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," the Foreign Ministry said. Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her in international waters. "I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible," she said in a video that was recorded ahead of the Israeli navy action. US President Donald Trump dismissed Thunberg's claim of being kidnapped. "I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg," he said. "She's a young, angry person ... I think she has to go to an anger management class." Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching Hamas. The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed most of the homes of its 2.3 million residents. [[nid:718864]]

Philippines' Marcos mulls quarterly performance reviews for Cabinet members
Philippines' Marcos mulls quarterly performance reviews for Cabinet members

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Philippines' Marcos mulls quarterly performance reviews for Cabinet members

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr also clarified that recent changes in his Cabiney should not be seen as a "revamp". PHOTO: REUTERS MANILA, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on June 10 said he is considering conducting performance assessments of Cabinet members every quarter. He said this during an ambush interview in Malacanang when asked if there were any new developments in the evaluation of agency heads and other officials. 'It is an ongoing thing. This is something; it is essentially putting all government agencies and departments on notice that we have to do better. And we will be looking very, very closely, and we will make that review on a periodic basis,' he said. 'Maybe on a quarterly basis. We'll see if we've achieved our targets, on a quarterly basis. And we'll be much, much more rigorous in looking at the performance, not only at the top level, but all the way. All the way. And that's why we'll see, I'm sure you will see more changes in the future,' he added. Mr Marcos also clarified that recent changes in his Cabinet should not be seen as a 'revamp.' 'You know, I have to explain that it's not a Cabinet revamp. What we really did was we are still in the process of examining… What happened really here was that I put everyone on notice that you are all on, basically all on probation,' he said. On May 22, Mr Marcos called for the courtesy resignation of all Cabinet members as part of his effort to recalibrate his administration following the results of the recent elections. 'The people have spoken, and they expect results, not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act,' he said. 'It's time to realign government with the people's expectations,' he added. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store