CHINA AND the United Kingdom yesterday signed contracts worth more than £1.4 billion (€1.6 billion), including a £1 billion contract to improve China’s coal-burning power stations, during a visit to London by Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao, who pointedly told foreign countries not to “finger-point” at China over its human rights record.
A number of agreements will give UK architectural, civil engineering and research and development companies better access to Chinese markets, which prime minister David Cameron said will play into Britain’s strengths in service, rather than manufacturing industries.
The leaders committed to boosting bilateral trade between the two countries to $100 billion (€70 billion) by 2015, though the UK has been slipping in the EU league of top exporters to China, falling behind Germany, which has secured major nuclear and energy contracts.
Defending the UK’s record, Mr Cameron said exports to China had increased by 40 per cent over the last year – with half of that rise coming in the wake of his visit to China last November. He said the UK is the second biggest European Union investor in China.
A ban on UK poultry exports to China has also being lifted, while more British pigs and pig meat are to be sold to China, though some argue that the export of live breeding pigs will simply allow the Chinese to develop their own domestic production, rather than increase exports. Agreement on a double-taxation deal has also been reached.
Irritated by a question about human rights in China, Mr Wen said China and the UK should engage in “more co-operation than finger-pointing and resolve our differences with dialogue and enhanced understanding”.
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