Asia and the UK 바카라 사이트� Partnering for prosperity
Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire gave a speech at Reform on how Britain and Asia are partnering for prosperity.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am grateful to for inviting me to speak today. It is a privilege to share a platform with His Excellency Dr Lim Hong Hin and Marjut Hannonen 바카라 사이트� both of whom will bring interesting perspectives to our discussions.
Everyone here knows about Asia바카라 사이트檚 vital importance to global prosperity. I want to get straight into how the 바카라 사이트 is responding. How we are, to quote the title of today바카라 사이트檚 session, 바카라 사이트減artnering for prosperity바카라 사이트�.
The UK in Asia
When this 바카라 사이트 took office, we made a conscious choice to develop new partnerships in Asia and to deepen our many old friendships.
We are backing up our words with action: 바카라 사이트 Ministers have undertaken a number of visits to Asia, creating relationships across government, industry, business and civil society. I, myself, have recently returned from a trip to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
We are focusing more resources on the region: 63 extra frontline staff in China; reopening our Embassy in Laos; expanding our diplomatic missions across South-East Asia, in South Korea and Australia; and enhancing our Asia teams in Washington and Brussels.
We are equipping our staff with the skills to help Britain compete: sending Ambassadors on business secondments before they take up postings; reopening the Foreign Office language school, and expanding our training in Asian languages so our staff can form relationships that deliver for Britain.
We are innovating: Of our new staff in China, 18 are dedicated to provinces less well-known in the UK 바카라 사이트� many of which have GDP, landmass and populations larger than entire European countries. We are working with British Chambers across Asia to support British companies more effectively.
We are expanding our co-operation: the UK바카라 사이트檚 Science and Innovation Network is fostering new collaborations, for instance in Smart Grid technology; and we are supporting the establishment of campuses in Asia for UK universities, such as Reading University in Malaysia. Indeed, in 2011-12, well over half a million students from ASEAN countries opted to study for a British qualification in their own country 바카라 사이트� 13 percent more than a year before.
All of this is having a positive impact: in the first quarter of this year, UK exports to the Asia Pacific increased by 6 percent. That바카라 사이트檚 an extra 拢575 million.
Asia in the UK
A true 바카라 사이트減artnership for prosperity바카라 사이트� is not one-way. I am delighted that so many Asian countries have found Britain to be a welcoming destination for trade and investment and a gateway to Europe.
We have longstanding investments from Asia, which go from strength to strength. Japanese car manufacturer Nissan announced last year that it will invest a further 拢127 million here 바카라 사이트� one of over 1,200 Japanese companies in the UK, which taken together employ over 100,000 people.
We are welcoming new investments: just look across the Thames to Battersea, where last week a Malaysian consortium broke ground on its 拢8 billion revamp of Battersea Power Station. Chinese investment into the UK increased by nearly 80 percent between 2011-12, and last month we saw deals worth over 拢2 billion pounds, including the redevelopment of London바카라 사이트檚 Royal Albert Docks.
Looking to the future
But despite all of this activity, we shouldn바카라 사이트檛 be complacent.
People speak of the 21st Century being Asia바카라 사이트檚 Century. But in a networked world, different countries and regions need to work and trade together to prosper, and to support each other in tackling global threats. In the UK, Asia has a committed partner.
Take climate change. I am proud that Britain has consistently shown global leadership. We work bilaterally and multilaterally to help develop innovative responses to the challenge we all face. In China, for example, we funded work which led to the adoption of ground-breaking green credit guidelines.
We are also working with Asia to prevent and reduce conflict, terrorism, narcotics-trafficking and the growing threat of cyber crime. In 2011, the UK organised the first high-level inter-governmental conference on 바카라 사이트榯hreats and opportunities in cyberspace바카라 사이트�. I am delighted that South Korea will host the third session later this year.
And we must take a similarly global approach to one of the most pressing issues we currently face: reinforcing the rules and systems that govern global trade to promote economic stability and co-operation. The UK바카라 사이트檚 2013 G8 presidency has driven forward our agenda on Tax, Transparency and Trade, and we look forward to working with our Asian partners to implement changes that will benefit us all.
In tackling all of these issues, we must also work through the networks open to us.
I believe there is huge potential in co-operation with ASEAN, particularly as we look to an integrated ASEAN Economic Community; and in the European Union바카라 사이트檚 work to agree Free Trade Agreements in Asia. I바카라 사이트檓 sure Dr Lim and Marjut will speak about these issues in more detail shortly.
There is more potential we can unlock for trade and investment between Britain and Asia. We want more of our companies to export, in line with Lord Green바카라 사이트檚 National Export Challenge to increase the number from 1 in 5 to 1 in 4. That would add an estimated 拢36 billion to the UK economy. Asia can seem a daunting, and distant prospect, particularly to small and medium sized enterprises 바카라 사이트� so we are working with partners like the China-Britain Business Council and the UK-ASEAN Business Council to highlight the potential.
Estimates suggest that there will almost 300 million new members of the consuming class in Asia by 2030. This will create a huge surge in demand for goods and services like education, creative industries and luxury goods will increase, all areas of British expertise and strength. We joined with South Korea바카라 사이트檚 largest department store to promote 16 British brands during the 2012 Olympics, which boosted sales of those goods by 拢31 million.
We have identified 100 High Value Opportunities for UK businesses around the world, a third of which are in Asia. Through our global network of Embassies, we can provide UK businesses with support to access these opportunities 바카라 사이트� which are worth billions and range from major infrastructure, manufacturing and engineering projects, to big supply or value chain opportunities.
Conclusion
Asia and the UK are indeed 바카라 사이트減artnering for prosperity바카라 사이트�.
This 바카라 사이트 is making a strong case for Britain as a home for Asian investment and our initiatives to increase exports are already paying dividends. We are working in partnership with Asian countries and networks across a range of issues that is expanding constantly.
Even so, we should strive to continually improve 바카라 사이트� because Asia will not just be important in the future, it is critically important now.
Countries that fail to recognise this will miss out, and I am determined to ensure that Britain is not one of them.
Further information
Find out more about the UK바카라 사이트檚 work Strengthening UK relationships in Asia, Latin America and Africa to support UK prosperity and security
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