Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Chartered Institute of Building's report entitled from China Road to Silicon Road, published May 2019, and its finding that China’s Belt and Road Initiative could deliver a $178 billion boost to UK GDP, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for the UK of formally joining the Belt and Road Initiative.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK’s engagement with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is focused on practical cooperation on infrastructure projects, including pragmatic steps and collaboration to help ensure that projects are delivered in line with the highest economic, environmental, social and financial standards in order to deliver sustainable development outcomes and opportunities for UK and international businesses.
UK firms have a global reputation for ensuring long-term efficiency and sustainability are built into infrastructure projects, making them natural partners for Chinese firms’ extensive project delivery capacity.
The UK has no plans formally to join the BRI. But the UK is keen to work closely with China to deliver practical cooperation on the potential opportunities from the BRI.
At the 10th UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue in June, I, as the Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade (DIT), signed a Departmental Memorandum of Understanding with China’s National Development and Reform Commission on Infrastructure Cooperation in Third Countries. It is a technical agreement that focuses on facilitating collaboration between UK and Chinese firms on projects overseas. Such infrastructure projects offer potential for UK companies across a number of sectors, including the construction sector, and the UK Government will provide support to UK companies as appropriate.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential benefit to the UK construction sector of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK’s engagement with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is focused on practical cooperation on infrastructure projects, including pragmatic steps and collaboration to help ensure that projects are delivered in line with the highest economic, environmental, social and financial standards in order to deliver sustainable development outcomes and opportunities for UK and international businesses.
UK firms have a global reputation for ensuring long-term efficiency and sustainability are built into infrastructure projects, making them natural partners for Chinese firms’ extensive project delivery capacity.
The UK has no plans formally to join the BRI. But the UK is keen to work closely with China to deliver practical cooperation on the potential opportunities from the BRI.
At the 10th UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue in June, I, as the Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade (DIT), signed a Departmental Memorandum of Understanding with China’s National Development and Reform Commission on Infrastructure Cooperation in Third Countries. It is a technical agreement that focuses on facilitating collaboration between UK and Chinese firms on projects overseas. Such infrastructure projects offer potential for UK companies across a number of sectors, including the construction sector, and the UK Government will provide support to UK companies as appropriate.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the UK construction sector on the skills that sector can provide to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); and what assessment he has made of the importance of the BRI to future UK-China international partnerships.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK’s engagement with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is focused on practical cooperation on infrastructure projects, including pragmatic steps and collaboration to help ensure that projects are delivered in line with the highest economic, environmental, social and financial standards in order to deliver sustainable development outcomes and opportunities for UK and international businesses.
UK firms have a global reputation for ensuring long-term efficiency and sustainability are built into infrastructure projects, making them natural partners for Chinese firms’ extensive project delivery capacity.
The UK has no plans formally to join the BRI. But the UK is keen to work closely with China to deliver practical cooperation on the potential opportunities from the BRI.
At the 10th UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue in June, I, as the Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade (DIT), signed a Departmental Memorandum of Understanding with China’s National Development and Reform Commission on Infrastructure Cooperation in Third Countries. It is a technical agreement that focuses on facilitating collaboration between UK and Chinese firms on projects overseas. Such infrastructure projects offer potential for UK companies across a number of sectors, including the construction sector, and the UK Government will provide support to UK companies as appropriate.