Read on Twitter
Looking forward to hearing more about the future of UK
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches">-Chinahttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇳" title="Flagge von China" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von China"> relations post- #Coronavirus pandemic #SACUUK https://twitter.com/SACUUK/status/1297923121408880640">https://twitter.com/SACUUK/st...
Chair @JennyClegg1 opens by discussing the evolution of UK-China relations, from the 1980s, through to @David_Cameron’s “Golden Age” in the 2010s, to the outbreak of the #Coronavirus pandemic #SACUUK
Prof @Bkerrychina says #Coronavirus has made China “more central” in people’s thoughts, which has made the work of Sinologists in UK “much more vital” #SACUUK
Brown says policy response to #Coronavirus “now largely at an end”, with policymakers now looking at the economy. Predicts tensions re: https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇳" title="Flagge von China" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von China">’s economic performance vs recovery in https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇪🇺" title="Flagge der Europäischen Union" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge der Europäischen Union">/https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches"> & https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇺🇸" title="Flagge der Vereinigten Staaten" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge der Vereinigten Staaten">. China’s economic performance “will have an impact on us all” #SACUUK
Brown acknowledges that it is “problematic” that, as the 2nd largest economy, #China has a role to play socially & economically. The fact it has a Communistic govt is an uncomfortable issue for many Western policymakers #SACUUK
In conclusion, Brown says that the world will not get “a desirable resolution” to the recovery from #Coronavirus without an improved understanding of China and its people #SACUUK
Next, Prof Graham Perry speaks on the impact of cooling relations between https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches"> & https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇳" title="Flagge von China" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von China">. However, believes that there will be “little material consequence” to the worsening of relations between East & West #SACUUK
Perry cites @TonyBlairQuotes by advising policymakers to “understand China from China’s perspective” - with its history of centralised dynastic powers, it’s loss in the Opium Wars & rise of the CCP as being very different to https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches">’s evolving democratisation #SACUUK
Looking at the https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇺🇸" title="Flagge der Vereinigten Staaten" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge der Vereinigten Staaten"> elections, Perry notes that @realDonaldTrump & @JoeBiden have very different positions on #China & that a Trump regime would not welcome the rise of China post- #Coronavirus pandemic #SACUUK
Perry says that the misunderstanding of China was when China joined WTO: It enjoyed prosperity, but does not see the need to Westernise its political body in the same way it adopted Western-style capitalism. #SACUUK
However, Perry is optimistic about the future of UK-China relations. There can be mutual benefits for increased UK-China co-operation, but only if the West does not keep insisting on China adopting Western sensibilities #SACUUK
Historian Michael Wood says that, beyond #coronavirus, the West needs good relations with https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇳" title="Flagge von China" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von China">. Says economic recovery & #ClimateEmergency response both “need China on board” to be successful #SACUUK
Wood notes that, in China, there is a “thirst to know” about the life of people in other nations. Says part of his role as a Western documentary filmmaker is trying to “redress the balance” by helping improve Brits’ understanding of the Chinese through his documentaries #SACUUK
Next, Dr @Rcjwang introduces herself via video, sending apologies for the prerecorded presentation, as she is currently flying from London to Beijing. Notes that she will be quarantining when she arrives in https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇳" title="Flagge von China" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von China">, but would not need to do so if she were flying to https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches"> #SACUUK
Wang notes that Chinese public health measures is much stricter than in UK. Argues that politically & culturally, UK would have been unable to impose such strict strategies - electorate would be unwilling to adhere to them & politicians lacked political will #SACUUK
However, Wang believes that policies around capacity-building, particularly around the construction of temporary hospitals https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏥" title="Krankenhaus" aria-label="Emoji: Krankenhaus">, is something where the UK could learn best practise from China #SACUUK
Looking at technology, Wang notes the Chinese are a more tech-savvy populous, with e-Health being commonplace amongst Chinese citizens, whereas the NHS is still the world’s largest buyer of fax machines! Believes uptake in e-health will continue in https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches"> post- #Coronavirus #SACUUK
Wang also believes that UK-China collaboration on vaccine development is also “essential” to getting a global vaccine - “we still do not know what we don’t yet know” #SACUUK
In conclusion, Wang believes the “world leading reputation” of the NHS public health services & China’s cutting edge research have a vital collaborative role in improving global public health post- #coronavirus #SACUUK
In Q&A’s, Wood advocates for Chinese language, as well as modules on Chinese history and culture, should be taught in schools #SACUUK
In Q&A, Perry also says Westerners need to remember “China is here to stay”. It is important that, like any other civilization, our relationship will only improve the more we learn & understand about them #SACUUK
Interesting discussion on challenges & opportunities for future https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇧" title="Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Vereinigten Königreiches">-https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇳" title="Flagge von China" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von China"> cooperation & how we get there. Thanks to Graham Perry, @Bkerrychina, Michael Wood & @rcjwang for your presentations, @JennyClegg1 for chairing & @SACUUK for hosting! #SACUUK
