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British Business (China)

The hon. Gentleman makes the point better than I would be able to, and I agree with everything he said. We are not making as much as we could of existing possibilities. Enforcement issues, consistent implementation of intellectual property rights, market access, red tape and subsidies to domestic companies all continue to feature among the barriers to doing business in the market. Such concerns need to be fully addressed in order to support UK exports and investments. We really could and should be doing better. My goodness, having visited Shanghai, I can understand why the Americans are slightly fearful of the competition. I shall end with just a few remarks about the Essex-Jiangsu partnership. As all hon. Members know, Essex is the finest county in the country, and it always leads the way. The Essex-Jiangsu partnership has been running since 1988 and was formalised in 1992 by Lord Hanningfield, who just celebrated 10 years as a Member of the House of Lords. It was established with the overall goal of developing firm and long-term bonds with Jiangsu province and creating a harmonious relationship between Essex and China, and it has indeed done that. The partnership aims to give practical support from the Jiangsu authorities to the county's exporters, and to attract inward investment to Essex. The relationship has already produced great benefits for the county. In 2006, 30 businesses, including three Essex companies that have since set up operations in the province, were helped to find opportunities in Jiangsu. Thirty-five Essex schools are actively engaged in curriculum links with Jiangsu schools, and a group of 12 primary and secondary schools has pioneered a successful drive to promote the teaching of Mandarin in Essex. Many teachers from Essex schools have already visited schools in Jiangsu and partnership links are developing. The county council is aiming for the partnership to be recognised as the most productive relationship between a British local authority and a Chinese provincial government by 2010. Two years ahead of 2010, I am prepared to announce that it is the most successful relationship. Essex county council is also holding a cultural festival to celebrate its 20-year partnership with Jiangsu province. Hundreds of celebratory events are taking place up to March 2009. This is a prime example of the kind of pro-active, innovative approach to Chinese education and trade links needed in all parts of the UK and, as ever, Essex leads the way. If we are talking about second languages in our schools, let us encourage Mandarin. It is a difficult language, and most of us have trouble speaking English, let alone a foreign language, but let us encourage people to speak Mandarin. As my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk) said earlier, let us try to make the most of our opportunities. I visited Shanghai zoo and I am determined that we secure a couple of pandas for London zoo—whether they will be leased or rented to us I do not know—and a couple for Colchester zoo. This was a fun trip, but every member of the delegation would agree that it was worthwhile. I already had an image of China, but the trip changed my perception. What a wonderful country China is and what wonderful opportunities it provides for each and every one of us, particularly in these challenging times.