Gareth Ward is a career diplomat. Prior to be appointed the Head of China Department at FCO, he was the Consul General in St. Petersburg, Russia. Further, Gareth has served in various positions at FCO in countries including Germany and Austria. Gareth holds a Masters degree from the London School of Economics and a Bachelors degree from the University of Cambridge.
China’s rise – threat or opportunity? The West cannot seem to make up its mind. The implications of China’s arrival as a global power perhaps cannot be simply described as good or bad. The undeniable fact is that China is on its way to becoming world’s largest importer of goods and services. Every country can choose how to react to China’s new influence. The UK has welcomed China’s investments in the nuclear energy sector. It has also created a hub in the City of London for renminbi trading, and bilateral trades between China and the UK are strengthening. But what are the broader implications of China’s rise, and more importantly, what does it mean for the UK?
