Brexit Blinkers to a Bigger Picture

Having lived in China for twelve years, I am used to returning home to little fanfare. This year was different. As Britain burns its bridges with Europe it is having to bolster them with Beijing. Uncertain times call for stronger support for the bilateral relationship that will make or break Britain in the China century. As the Chair of the British Chamber in China, public reaction to my UK visit, changed from indifferent to enamoured overnight.

If a year ago David Cameron had set up a strategy to integrate the UK and Chinese economies, he could not have dreamed up a better policy than a polished State visit in the Autumn followed by a cut-price sale in the summer. If the visit of President Xi Jingping to the UK made the bilateral relationship golden, Brexit could render it platinum. What matters is whether we seize the opportunity to work with China or not.