UK News & Current Affairs Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire gave a speech at Reform on how Britain and Asia are partnering for prosperity. Below is an excerpt of his speech: "When this Government 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: Government 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 – 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 UK’s 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 – 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. That’s an extra £575 million..." Read the full transcript of his speech by clicking the link below:
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 04:17:13 +0000