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Strengthening links with China
05/04/2009
The potential for Scotland to emerge strongly and quickly from the current downturn will benefit greatly from enhanced engagement with emerging global economic powers like China, First Minister Alex Salmond said today.
The First Minister and the Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary Fiona Hyslop will undertake an intensive programme of visits in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing from April 5-11.
The programme will see Ministers make a number of positive announcements about the growing partnership between Scotland and China, including Scottish business expansions and opportunities, and exciting research and academic collaborations and initiatives which will boost Scotland's profile as a visitor destination for golf and whisky.
The First Minister has also announced that Chinese businesses will now be able to pursue direct links with more than 1,000 Scottish firms through the BusinessClub Scotland initiative he launched in February, which is to set up pages in Mandarin on its website.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Salmond said:
"I was delighted to accept the invitation of the Chinese Government to visit China and undertake a programme which will help build on the positive relationships between our two countries in areas like business, education and culture.
"Our China Plan - developed by the previous administration and updated and expanded last year - is yielding significant benefits for Scotland as we strengthen our long-standing relationships with Government, businesses and educational institutions in China.
"The results so far are tangible. We are seeing a growing number of business collaborations in sectors like energy, life sciences and financial services. At more than 5,000, students from China and Hong Kong are at a record level, the largest group of international students in Scotland. And we are benefiting from last year's exciting Memorandum of Understanding between our two Governments on education.
"I am also delighted to announce that such is the Chinese interest in our innovative BusinessClub Scotland initiative - which in two months has seen more than 1,000 Scottish companies sign up - that its website is to be updated with material in Mandarin to help encourage increased direct business links between our two countries.
"This just underlines the massive potential that exists for Scottish companies, universities and colleges - large and small - to get involved in China.
"Next week's programme will allow us to make further progress in areas of key economic importance to Scotland like renewable energy, life sciences, education and tourism.
"In our six-point recovery plan, the Scottish Government is working hard, at home and abroad, to help Scottish families emerge stronger from the slowdown - and we are always looking to find new economic opportunities.
"Working closely with key organisations such as Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International and VisitScotland, we are focussing efforts in China on maximising trade, boosting inward investment and increasing tourism."
Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary Fiona Hyslop will use the visit to build on the significant education links between Scotland and China, which include a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Chinese Education Ministry when Ms Hyslop visited in April last year.
Ms Hyslop said:
"Scotland and China both have very proud traditions of learning, and a strong desire to work together to bring added benefits to our countries' economies and societies.
"In recent times links between our top universities and research institutes have flourished and our two countries are actively working together to address some of the challenges facing us both in the 21st century.
"Collaboration on new technologies in areas such as clean and renewable energy and life sciences will help Scotland and China emerge stronger from the global recession."
Jack Perry, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, will also be in China. Mr Perry said:
"While not immune from the economic downturn, China's economy is still expected to recover quicker and grow faster than almost any other country.
"The sheer scale of opportunity in China is something we can not ignore and with collaborations and investment already taking place between our two countries, we want to ensure that more Scottish companies can take advantage of the opportunities that exist within areas such as financial services, energy and life sciences."
In relation to the BusinessClub Scotland announcement, Lesley Sawers, Chair of BusinessClub Scotland said:
"As part of a recent successful business delegation to China we recognised the huge opportunities for businesses to improve the level of contact and engagement between our countries.
"BusinessClub Scotland is the ideal platform to do this and we welcome the First Minister's support in promoting BusinessClub Scotland during his visit. The new international sign up service is the first step in bringing Chinese and Scottish businesses together to help build international networks and open up new trading opportunities for Scottish businesses linked to Scotland's investment in major events."
Main elements of the programmes include:
- First Minister (FM) making keynote business speech in Hong Kong before attending a Renewable Energy event to promote Scotland as a world-leader in clean energy technology
- Ms Hyslop visiting the University of Hong Kong (which has partnerships with Edinburgh Napier and Aberdeen Universities)
- Meeting with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
- Homecoming Receptions in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing
- FM participating in Scottish golf-related promotional activity to encourage China's growing number of golfers to visit the '.home of golf'
- Ms Hyslop visiting Shanghai University's College of Digital Media (has partnership with Abertay University)
- FM speaks at Financial Services Fund Management seminar in Shanghai with associated business and government visits
- Ms Hyslop visiting a Shanghai Secondary School (which is twinned with Peebles High School
- FM to undertake two renewable energy-related events in Beijing, highlighting Scottish success stories in the Chinese renewables market and promoting Scotland as a world-leader in clean energy technology
- Ms Hyslop visiting Beijing Jiaotong University, which has a partnership with the SQA and visiting China's Central Academy of Fine Arts which has a partnership with Glasgow School of Art
- FM and Ms Hyslop participating in Life Sciences-related events in Beijing