English: East entrance of HM Treasury Français : Entrée Est de HM Treasury (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I thank Dr Alf for bringing this article in China‘s People’s Daily to our attention.

The UK could increase SME to SME trade with China by a better process of business matching and stakeholder mapping which would identify Chinese companies requiring collaboration and in what areas and UK companies that also needed collaboration and had useful services to provide either directly or in collaboration with Chinese partner companies.

The UK Government needs to expand “Passport to Export” and include courses based on Pimsleur methods to teach Mandarin with export funding going to SMEs that have directors or managers who have taken the trouble to learn the language rather than just relying on agents.

SME businesses capable of being groomed into bigger entities and capable of exporting to be encouraged to take on graduate trainees of Chinese origin and at least some Directors who are not simply “dead white males” or identikit versions of existing directors.

A process of exchange visits whereby some of the better SME directors here in the UK could be sent to China and be subjected to George Osborne style “Damascene conversion” might also help.

LEPS in the UK need to employ people other than “dead white males and females” and CEO,s of County Councils need to get on planes,get out of their offices and see what is going on for themselves rather than receiving delegations from China and thinking that they are setting the world alight by knowing how to present a business card with two hands (CEO of Peterborough City Council during 2012) at a Q and A session at the Peterborough Business Club.

Often I bring these matters up in my dealings with these people but they think they know better.

Fortunately George Osborne has seen the light, Boris already has a basic grasp of Mandarin and may one day be Prime Minister.

However, much of the population of the UK needs a bomb under it to change ossified and outdated attitudes and shake them out of their complacency and torpor.

Q ) Can this be done by 2015?
A) I doubt it?

Q) Will Dr Alf’s hopes for greater co-operation between Chinese and UK SMEs be realized?
A) Not any time soon or ever with the present Prime Minister and Home Secretary

Q) Has George Osborne’s visit made a start?
A) I think so but progress will not be fast

John Gelmini

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