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BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Why Labour is now cosying up to China
The sprawling city of Chongqing in southwestern China is an incredible sight. Built on mountainous terrain and crisscrossed by rivers, it is connected by vast elevated roads. Trains even run through some have begun documenting their commutes in the striking urban architecture, generating millions of likes and much hype. But it is also where, on a somewhat quieter trip, mayors and their deputies from the UK recently visited - the largest British civic delegation to visit the country in modern whole trip, which took place in March, received substantial Chinese media coverage, despite flying more under the radar in the UK. The impression it left on some of the politicians who travelled there was vast."[The city is] what happens if you take the planning department and just say 'yes' to everything," reflects Howard Dawber, deputy London mayor for business. "It's just amazing." The group travelled to southern Chinese cities, spoke to Chinese mayors and met Chinese tech giants. So impressed was one deputy mayor that, on returning home, they bought a mobile phone from Chinese brand Honor (a stark contrast from the days the UK banned Huawei technology from its 5G networks, just a few years ago).Roughly half-a-dozen deals were signed on the back of the trip. The West Midlands, for example, agreed to establish a new UK headquarters in Birmingham for Chinese energy company EcoFlow. But the visit was as much about diplomacy as it was trade, says East Midlands deputy mayor Nadine Peatfield, who attended. "There was a real hunger and appetite to rekindle those relationships." To some, it was reminiscent of the "golden era" of UK-China relations, a time when then-Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping shared a basket of fish and chips and a days have long felt far away. Political ties with China deteriorated under former UK Conservative Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. The last UK prime minister to visit China was Theresa May, in 2018. But the recent delegation - and the talk of Sir Keir Starmer possibly visiting China later this year - suggests a turning point in relations. But to what greater intent? A 'grown up' approach The course correction seemed to begin with the closed-door meeting between Sir Keir and Chinese President Xi in Brazil last November. The prime minister signalled that Britain would look to cooperate with China on climate change and then, Labour's cautious pursuit of China has primarily focused on the potential financial upsides. In January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves co-chaired the first UK-China economic summit since 2019, in Beijing. Defending her trip, she said: "Choosing not to engage with China is no choice at all."Reeves claimed re-engagement with China could boost the UK economy by £1bn, with agreements worth £600m to the UK over the next five years — partially achieved through lifting barriers that restrict exports to China. Soon after, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband resumed formal climate talks with China. Miliband said it would be "negligence" to future generations not to have dialogue with the country, given it is the world's biggest carbon simply describes its approach as "grown-up". But it all appears to be a marked shift from the last decade of UK-China the so-called "golden era", from 2010, the UK's policy towards China was dominated by the Treasury, focusing on economic opportunities and appearing to cast almost all other issues, including human rights or security, aside. By September 2023, however, Rishi Sunak said he was "acutely aware of the particular threat to our open and democratic way of life" posed by China. 'The world will become more Chinese' Labour claimed in its manifesto that it would bring a "long-term and strategic approach".China has a near monopoly on extracting and refining rare earth minerals, which are critical to manufacturing many high-tech and green products. For example, car batteries are often reliant on lithium, while indium is a rare metal used for touch screens. This makes China a vital link in global supply chains."China's influence is likely to continue to grow substantially globally, especially with the US starting to turn inwards," says Dr William Matthews, a China specialist at Chatham House think tank. "The world will become more Chinese, and whilst that is difficult for any Western government, there needs to be sensible engagement from the get-go." Andrew Cainey, a director of the UK National Committee on China, an educational non-profit organisation, says: "China has changed a lot since the Covid-19 pandemic. To have elected officials not having seen it, it's a no brainer for them to get back on the ground".Certainly many in the UK's China-watching community believe that contact is an essential condition to gain a clearer-eyed view of the opportunities posed by China, but also the challenges. Questions around national security The opportunities, some experts say, are largely economic, climate and education-related. Or as Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies at King's College London, puts it: "China is producing information, analysis and ways of doing things that we can learn from". He points to the intellectual, technological, AI, and life sciences engaging with China would be to ignore the realities of geopolitics in the 21st century, in Dr Matthew's view, given that it is the world's second largest economy. However he also believes that engagement comes with certain Charles Parton, who spent 22 years of his diplomatic career working in or on China, raises questions about the UK's economic and national example, the government is reportedly weighing up proposals for a Chinese company to supply wind turbines for an offshore windfarm in the North Sea. Mr Parton warns against allowing China access to the national grid: "It wouldn't be difficult in a time of high tension to say, 'by the way, we can turn off all your wind farms'".But earlier this year, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU issued a statement expressing concern over the "politicisation" of deals between wind developers in Europe and Chinese turbine suppliers. James Sullivan, director of Cyber and Tech at defence think tank Rusi, notes there are also some questions around cyberspace. "China's activities in cyberspace appear to be more strategically and politically focused compared to previous opportunistic activities," he for defence, the UK's recently published defence review describes China as a "sophisticated and persistent challenge", with Chinese technology and its proliferation to other countries "already a leading challenge for the UK".Ken McCallum, MI5 director general, meanwhile, has previously warned of a sustained campaign on an "epic scale" of Chinese espionage Prof Brown pushes back on some concerns about espionage, saying some media narratives about this are a "fairytale".Beijing has always dismissed accusations of espionage as attempts to "smear" China. Is the UK really a 'compliant servant'? Sir Keir and his team will no doubt be closely monitoring how this is all viewed by Washington month, President Donald Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro described Britain as "an all too compliant servant of Communist China", urging the UK against deepening economic ties."When it comes to foreign policy towards China, America's influence on policy will be quite substantive compared with say continental Europe," says Dr Yu Jie of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS think analysts I speak to in both the UK and China are still clear on the need for the two countries to get back in the same room, even if they differ on where to draw the line: in which areas should Westminster cooperate and where should it stay red lines have not yet been drawn, and experts say that without some kind of playbook, it is difficult for businesses and elected officials to know how to engage. "You can only keep firefighting specific issues for so long without developing a systematic plan," warns Mr thorny issues have arisen, including Chinese investments in the UK. For example in April when the government seized control of British Steel from its former Chinese owner Jingye, to prevent it from being closed down, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds admitted that he would "look at a Chinese firm in a different way" when considering investment in the UK steel foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, warned that Labour should avoid "linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK".After Starmer met Xi last year, he said the government's approach would be "rooted in the national interests of the UK", but acknowledged areas of disagreement with China, including on human rights, Taiwan and Russia's war in the release of pro-democracy activist and British citizen Jimmy Lai from a Hong Kong prison is, he has said, a "priority" for the government. 'Go with your eyes open' Labour's manifesto broadly pledged: "We will cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must."What is still lacking, however, is the fine print. Asked about the British government's longer-term strategy, Mr Parton replied: "No.10 doesn't have a strategy."He tells me he has some specific advice: "Go with your eyes open," he says. "But have a clear idea of what needs protecting, and a willingness to take some short-term financial hits to protect long-term national security."Labour has suggested that some clarity on their approach will be provided through the delayed China "audit", a cross-government exercise launched last year, which will review the UK's relations with audit is due to be published this month, but many doubt that it will resolve matters. "If we see a visit from Starmer to Beijing, that will be an indication that the two sides have actually agreed with something, and that they would like to change and improve their bilateral relationship," says Dr many people in Westminster remain even if the audit helps Britain better define what it wants out of its relationship with China, the question remains, do MPs and businesses have the China-related expertise to get the best out of it?According to Ruby Osman, China analyst at the Tony Blair Institute, there is an urgent need to build the UK's China capabilities in a more holistic way, focusing on diversifying the UK's points of contact with China."If we want to be in a position where we are not just listening to what Beijing and Washington want, there needs to be investment in the talent pipeline coming into government, but also think tanks and businesses who work with China," she if that's the case, then irrespective of whether closer ties with China is viewed as a security threat, an economic opportunity, or something in between, the UK might be in a better position to engage with the country. Top image credit: PA BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
International Museum Day: Trend of Exchanging Local Specialties Tears Across World of Cultural Relics
Chengdu, China--(Newsfile Corp. - May 22, 2025) - May 18 is International Museum Day. This year, a trend of "specialty swap" has swept into the world of cultural relics. Under the initiative of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, three major museums in Southwest China—Sanxingdui, Jinsha, and Luojiaba—have launched a cross-time-and-space "cultural relics delivery" event. China Sichuan on International Museum Day To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: In southwestern China, the Sichuan Basin is a land where diverse civilizations converge. The Ba and Shu cultures complement each other, with the former being vigorous and martial and the latter refined and scholarly, blending harmoniously. The ancient Shu people were romantic and imaginative, as evidenced by their Bronze Mythical Tree and the Sun and Immortal Birds that embodied cosmic visions. The Ba people were valiant and warlike, as reflected in their bronze weapons and battle-themed engravings that recorded their tribal memories. These two cultures merged in their interactions, jointly crafting the rich and diverse chapter of the Ba-Shu region within the broader tapestry of Chinese civilization. On this special day, the "Bronze Bird" of the Sanxingdui Museum sent the bronze cultural and creative product and a cute pottery pig handbag as a "local specialty" to the "Bronze Dou With a War Pattern (Land Battle and Water Battle)" at the Luojiaba Site Museum. And the Bronze Dou reciprocated with a tiger figurine that was loved by the Ba people. This "local specialty exchange" among cultural relics thus began. The Sun and Immortal Bird of the Jinsha Site Museum also responded positively and donated gold foil souvenirs to Sanxingdui, but the package failed to be delivered due to being "overweight". The theme of International Museum Day this year is "The Future of Museums in a Rapidly Changing Community". Today, Museums are no longer just repositories of the past, but also places where cultural relics are given new life. This meaningful "specialty exchange" brought museums closer together, cultural relics "come alive," inviting the public to rediscover the warmth and wonder behind cultural heritage. Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage AdministrationContact: Jean HuangEmail: submit@ +8628 8663 7325website: To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Guizhou's ethnic parade highlights unity and culture
BEIJING, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from An ethnic parade and ethnic performing gala took place in Guiyang, capital city of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on May 18, the eve of China Tourism Day. Along the 2.3-kilometer route of the parade, nearly 3,600 participants from various ethnic groups showcased diverse ethnic cultures, vibrant intangible cultural heritage, and an immersive cultural tourism experience. The 26 marching groups featured regional specialties, such as Guiyang's roadside concerts, Zunyi's Miao dance, Liupanshui's Yi and Miao costumes, Anshun's 600-year-old Tunpu culture, Bijie's intangible cultural heritage, Tongren's Nuo Opera, and the Village T-stage Show. "I feel very moved seeing everyone around me applauding and cheering," said Yu Zihan, a visitor from Chongqing municipality. "This parade vividly showcased the ethnic unity and Guizhou's charming ethnic culture to the world." A group of 100 representatives from various professions – including educators, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, laborers, and agriculturalists – was convened to form a marching contingent. This ensemble illustrated the resilient spirit of Guizhou, presenting an impressive and compelling display on the parade stage. To add to the fun, on the evening of the same day, two roadside concerts were held at Zhucheng Square and Wenchang Pavilion of Nanming district. On May 19, a roadshow featuring video tours, live scene interpretations, and interactive tour guides was held in Guanshanhu district. With "Time and Space Travel" as the theme, the event aimed to showcase Guizhou's cultural spiritual essence and modern inheritance. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China says it has full confidence in ability to manage US trade issues
By Kevin Krolicki MALIPO, China (Reuters) -China has full confidence in its ability to manage U.S. trade issues, Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said on Friday, a day before officials from both sides are set to meet in Switzerland to discuss the tariffs they have imposed on each other. "We have no fear," Hua told a small group of reporters at a middle school in a rural county in southwestern China, adding that the trade policy of the U.S. administration cannot be sustained. The weekend talks involving top U.S. and Chinese economic and trade officials are widely seen as a first step towards resolving a trade war that has disrupted the global economy. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. tariffs on Beijing of 145% would likely come down. "We have full confidence," Hua said during a Beijing-organised trip to Malipo county to showcase China's efforts to build up rural economies. "We do not want any kind of war with any country. But we have to face up to the reality. As you can see, people have full confidence in our capability to overcome all the difficulties." Trump's tariffs on many of the United States' trading partners, including China, are increasingly weighing on a world economy which for decades had benefited from predictable and relatively free trade. Many economists are calling the Trump tariffs a "demand shock" to the world economy which, by making imports more expensive for American businesses and consumers, will sap activity elsewhere. "What the United States is doing cannot be sustained," Hua said. "Ordinary people in the U.S. already feel suffering from the tariff war." The U.S. administration will come back to "normal", she said.
Arab News
09-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
China says it has full confidence in ability to manage US trade issues
MALIPO, China: China has full confidence in its ability to manage US trade issues, Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said on Friday, a day before officials from both sides are set to meet in Switzerland to discuss the tariffs they have imposed on each other. 'We have no fear,' Hua told a small group of reporters at a middle school in a rural county in southwestern China, adding that the trade policy of the US administration cannot be sustained. The weekend talks involving top US and Chinese economic and trade officials are widely seen as a first step toward resolving a trade war that has disrupted the global economy. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US tariffs on Beijing of 145 percent would likely come down. 'We have full confidence,' Hua said during a Beijing-organized trip to Malipo county to showcase China's efforts to build up rural economies. 'We do not want any kind of war with any country. But we have to face up to the reality. As you can see, people have full confidence in our capability to overcome all the difficulties.' Trump's tariffs on many of the United States' trading partners, including China, are increasingly weighing on a world economy which for decades had benefited from predictable and relatively free trade. Many economists are calling the Trump tariffs a 'demand shock' to the world economy which, by making imports more expensive for American businesses and consumers, will sap activity elsewhere. 'What the United States is doing cannot be sustained,' Hua said. 'Ordinary people in the US already feel suffering from the tariff war.' The US administration will come back to 'normal,' she said.
