Chancellor promises open door for Chinese

Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Chancellor George Osborne hold a Q&A at Peking University in Beijing.

The Chancellor, who is leading a trade mission in China, told students in Beijing his visit was about “much more than a collection of business deals”.

Mr Osborne said he wanted to make it clear to the whole of China that there is no limit on trade with Britain or the number of Chinese people who can come to study or visit. A real dialogue between the two nations, he said, is about learning, understanding and “embracing the future together”, as he announced a partnership between Peking University, where he spoke, and Manchester University to create a joint centre for genomic medicine.

While acknowledging that “we should not be afraid of pointing out where we disagree”, Mr Osborne said the West should not harbour “outdated” and “nervous” views and also welcomed Chinese investment in critical infrastructure such as water and airports.

Mr Osborne said: “This partnership will – I hope – give even more of you the chance to come to Britain and study there.

“We already have 130,000 Chinese students like you studying in Britain. I want more of you to come. And more Chinese visitors too.”

Mr Osborne’s push came a day after he announced a relaxation of the visa rules for Chinese nationals – amid complaints the current regime is a deterrent to more high-spending visitors.

The Chancellor, who unveiled an £800m plan for Chinese investment in Manchester Airport on Sunday, said Britain would not be like other European countries that put up trade barriers to China. He said: “Not every country in the world is happy to see foreign investment, including Chinese investment. There are some countries, including some in Europe, who think the answer to the global race is to erect trade barriers and find all sorts of ways of making it clear that Chinese investment is not welcome.

“Britain is not one of those countries. Indeed, I would go as far as to say that there is no country in the West that is more open to investment – especially investment from China – than the United Kingdom is.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who shared a platform with Mr Osborne, reiterated his desire for more two-way traffic, with more Chinese students coming to the UK but also more British people studying in China.