Trade union calls on British govt to learn from China's growth

The British government should learn from the rapid expansion of the Chinese economy in recent years and engage with China through attracting Chinese students and promoting young people studying Chinese Mandarin, said a report published on Tuesday.

The report, named The Way of the Dragon, was issued by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a major federation of trade unions in Britain with over six million members. It considered the spectacular growth since the 1950s of the East Asian tiger economies, along with China, to examine what lessons ministers in the Britain might learn from the way in which these governments have helped develop industry and encouraged economic output.

It argued that with the global economy likely to be dominated in future by the three large economic blocs of the U.S., China and Europe, the Britain must remain part of Europe. Exiting from the EU would also severely damage the country's export potential to China and its emerging markets, it added.

The report said that East Asian governments had played an active engagement role to develop their economies.

"China believes strongly in the role of the state in planning what has been rather phenomenal economic activity in recent years ... there is still much for UK politicians to learn from," said TUC Assistant General Secretary Paul Nowak.

"Identifying key industries where government support could help emerging firms become world leaders, and encouraging UK companies to look for business opportunities within China's very detailed current 'five-year plan' would be a start," he added.

The report said that aside from putting a more active industrial policy into practice, the British government should also be encouraging greater numbers of Chinese students to study here and persuade more British schools to offer Chinese Mandarin classes to pupils.

"Encouraging greater numbers of Chinese students to study at UK universities would also help encourage a greater understanding of the UK amongst the next generation of the country's business leaders. And getting schools to offer as many Mandarin classes as they do French and German lessons would help set up our young people well for a future in business too," said Paul Nowak.