-
scarce staff resources in ODA and the Embassy to be concentrated on ATP.
The programme has been formulated with our commercial interest very much in
mind but, quite rightly, taking a positive view of the long term benefits of
activities such as ELT and training. It cannot unfortunately be readily
replicated elsewhere; we started virtually from scratch three or four years
ago, unencumbered by the complex historical baggage which weighs on our aid
relationship with recipients like India. The programme in China very
clearly provides excellent value for money: perhaps more so than any other
country I have visited. Aid is used highly effectively by the Chinese.
6. Our consultancies
programme focusses on specialised areas where China
lacks expertise. I visited a canal irrigation and water supply system near
Peking where the contributions of several British companies are clearly-
#greatly valued, and also went to see a low cost housing project in Chengdu,
Szechuan province. The consultancies programme makes an important
contribution to Chinese projects and is valuable to UK companies in
introducing firms to the China market and securing (non aid financed)
equipment exports. This part of our programme is set to expand
substantially, as is our ELT programme, through which we are currently
supporting about 40 British experts, Chinese counterparts in UK, books and
other materials. There is a strong Chinese commitment to increase knowledge
of the English language, and I was both surprised and impressed by the
number of my interlocutors who had at least a working knowledge. Our effort
is carefully geared, by concentrating on key institutions, to secure the
maximum multiplier effect. This is an area in which the UK has an obvious
comparative advantage, and I saw good examples of our work in Chengdu and
Shanghai.
7.
I was impressed by the Universities I visited in Peking, Chengdu and
(particularly) Shanghai, and we are building a valuable link programme
between these and other Chinese institutions, and British universities and
other centres of excellence. In addition to these links (now nearly 100 in
number) we support through several training programmes about 1,000 Chinese
students in UK. I think that the planned-expansion of the FCO SAS to
provide 100 new senior fellowships-for-high fliers should be-particularly
valuable.
/8.
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