August 12, 2022 5.00 pm This story is over 19 months old

No issues with China investment in Lincolnshire unless it becomes rogue state

Council business chief takes a cautiously optimistic view
Lincolnshire and Hunan in China signed a declaration of friendship in 2015.

Colin Davie, Lincolnshire’s executive councillor for business, doesn’t think recent issues in China should put off investment into the county.

The county has been looking to cement its relationship with Chinese investors since 2015, working with the province of Hunan in a bid to share in some of its £385 billion a year economy and “sell Lincolnshire internationally”.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic, recent tensions with America and Taiwan, the country’s environmental record and its genocide of and human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minorities have put the country under the spotlight in recent years.

Rutland MP Alicia Kearns recently hit out at Chinese ties to a massive solar farm on the Lincolnshire border as she urged the government to support a Taiwan trade deal.

But Councillor Colin Davie, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive portfolio holder for economy, believes that unless China “like Putin goes rogue” it would remain a global superpower “that we have to live with and do business with in one way or the other”.

“Half the products you buy or consume every day have a connection to China – you’re not going to suddenly turn that tap off because its not viable to do so without collapsing the economy.”

He said the impact of closing ports in the country because of COVID had already shown problems within the supply chain.

“There is considerable Chinese investment in Lincolnshire and they will continue to invest but probably in a different way in the future,” he said.

“I have no problem with that provided that China doesn’t become a rogue state.”

He said that there appeared to be a debate going on within China which looked at how the country was positioned within the world and whether it had closer, more understanding relationships with the West or took a more hardline approach.

He said there was no need to “burn bridges,” but instead urged for quieter discussions which influenced and encouraged China to take a “really substantial positive role in the world”.

In response to Ms Kearn’s concerns, he added that if a hardline approach was taken to China a similar one would need to be taken to other countries, such as Qatar hosting the World Cup.

“You can’t pick and choose,” he said.

“We have to recognise that China has a global role to play and it needs to encourage global security and not do anything to destabilise the world even further.”