14-JUL-1993 16:38
TRANSCRIPT B
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0494536249 P.24
JAMES LEE
MR. ALASTAIR GOODLAD FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE · 14 JULY 1993
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MR. ALASTAIR GOODLAD:
I think that it is entirely fair to say that our business
relations with China were until recently something of a
disappointment. I think our European competitors have
consistently paid more attention to China and won a bigger market
share and the Department of Trade and Industry and ourselves,
through the Joint Directorate of Commercial Services, regard China
as a priority market and regard it as a function of HMG to
stimulate interest and help new firms into the market. There are
signs of growing interest and improved performance. The Minister
of Trade, I think, has been there three times in the last year and
he is applying to go for a fourth time. There are signs of more
business interest.
There was a 100-strong China-British trade
group mission in November of 1992; there was a big seminar in
Liverpool recently and our exports are up in the first four months
of the year by over 70% so it is going in the right direction.
is
The view of ATP has established that there will be concentration
on China and Indonesia in the future ‘and the China-Britain trade
group which I mentioned, which receives funding from DTI,
developing I think a dynamic and well-focused programme of events
in China and the United Kingdom.
I think we now have the President of the Board of Trade's
initiatives overall focused on China as a priority which will
enhance and strengthen our trading position but I come back to
your original point that it did need this.