‘A new initiative intended to foster Anglo-Chinese business joint ventures was recently launched in the UK,’ reported EW in 2003, ‘the first ever innovation park specifically intended to encourage Chinese companies to set up operations in Europe was opened in Cambridge in September.”
‘
‘The China-UK Innovation Park is a privately-funded venture that aims to provide consultancy and business support services to Chinese high-technology companies seeking to expand into Europe.”
‘
‘According to managing director Dr Keming Zhou there is no similar venture anywhere in the EU. “We should be able to reduce by at least six months the time Chinese companies might otherwise spend dealing with the organisational and legal details of setting up operations in the UK,” said Zhou.’
‘The venture will also be seeking to expand its operations to support such initiatives as the transfer of UK management skills to China. Walter Herriot, managing director of St John’s Innovation Centre at Cambridge, where the new venture is based, said that the China-UK Innovation Park was a very exciting initiative. “I’m sure it will bring great benefits to both countries,” added Herriot.
‘Also aimed at building greater Anglo-China high tech business activity, is the DTI-backed UK-China High Technology Industry Forum was organised by the Asia-Pacific Technology Network.’
Fascinating stuff jamo, I believe the same happened when the Yanks swiped our manufacturing expertise developed in the Industrial Revolution. It’s impossible to keep these technologies under wraps.
Ten years before this, sometime between 1992 and 1994 I wrote a letter to my local MP at the time – Tam Dalyell. My concern was cosying up to China when there were so many human rights disgraces. The main ire of mine at the time was the huge number orphanages with baby and very young girls, in dire conditions. Also many baby girl killings. A result of the one child policy. His reply was it was the best way to influence change.
I also knew electronics manufacture in the UK would collapse at some point, and of course it did. And we were teaching them all we knew about manufacturing, including setting up plants in a completely ‘foolproof’ way that could use ‘former peasants’ with no understanding of basic human protocols for factory work.
In the mentioned 2003 timeframe it was lots of meetings worldwide in startups full of Chinese PhDs.
Only history – I’m not critising the 2nd part of the above. We’ve benefitted hugely from China’s prowess and latterly invention.