Nicola Sturgeon visits China this week to tout Scotland as a business, investment and tourist destination as concerns grow about her government’s ability to boost economic growth.
The Scottish first minister has said ties are going “from strength to strength” as she hailed a more than 40 per cent rise in exports to China in 2017 compared with the previous year. Her first official visit to Beijing in three years comes just weeks after the opening of direct flights between the two countries.
But while UK customs data show shipments of machinery, whisky and food all grew strongly last year, it was a surge in North Sea oil-related exports buoyed by a rebounding oil price that accounted for the vast bulk of Scotland’s £2.2bn sales to China.