In light of the recent perceived strains in Sino-British relations, this speech would almost appear as if it was drafted in a different era, when relations were less strained.
Ambassador Zheng’s speech can be interpreted in several ways. Some may see a show of strength in his display of calmness, whereas others may view the speech as simply standard operating procedure for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where new diplomats deliver roughly the same speech upon each new posting.
It is interesting to note that at the end of Ambassador Zheng’s speech, he mentions:
I was a student in the UK on a government programme. Back then, there were only several hundred Chinese students here. Today, this figure has exceeded 200,000. This is yet another proof of the keen interest of our two peoples for closer exchanges and cooperation.
It is a well accepted fact that UK education (primary, secondary, and higher) is one of the largest sectors for the UK economy, making this sector a “core interest” for the UK Government and the general population, both bolstering the UK economyand providing a useful source of UK soft diplomatic power. The value of the UK’s education sector becomes quite tangible when considering the fact that the pursuit of a UK education provides a gateway for Chinese wealth to enter the UK, and a British education is becoming increasingly affordable for a larger percentage of Chinese people each year.
The FOTILE Hurun Wealth Report of 2020, published 8 February 2020 showed that the number of households in China with:
- 6 million RMB and more in assets (approx. £662,000) has grown by 1.4% compared to the previous year to 5.01 million households,
- Those with more than 10 million RMB in assets (approx. £1,104,000) have grown by 2% to 2.02 million households, and
- High net worth households with more than 100 million RMB in assets (approx. £11,040,000) have grown by 2.4% to 130,000 households.
It is conceivable that any family belonging to these groups can reasonably afford to send at least one child abroad for higher education. As a result, it is likely that Britain’s attractive status as a safe, stable country capable of providing the children of China’s burgeoning middle class with a world-beating education is likely to remain a “core interest” of the Chinese state for the foreseeable future. Despite the noise of strained Sino-British relations, Ambassador Zheng’s positive words and mention of the education sector may indicate calmer waters ahead.
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