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Ministerial Foreword
The rise of China is changing the world. How we, in Scotland, respond to the opportunities and challenges that flow from this will be critical for our country's future. The speed and scale of China's growth means that the stakes are rising: the benefits will be higher if we get our response right; the costs greater if we do not, particularly in terms of missed opportunities.
Our response will demand a sustained, national effort over the years ahead. Only through the collective efforts of people and organisations in Scotland and in China, working in partnership, will the full potential of this historic opportunity be realised.
We have deep and strong links on which to build; we have a vibrant Chinese community here in Scotland; and there are already many Sino-Scottish success stories. Relationships have been established at the highest political levels and, since the First Minister's visit to China in October 2004, we have seen productive and valuable relationships develop, especially in higher education, business and cultural exchange. But we can and must do more.
The fact that China has contributed more to world economic growth since 2001 than the G7 countries put together confirms the importance to Scotland's economy of engaging with China. In this document, Scottish Ministers set a strategic course for rising to that challenge. They will use their influence and the resources of government to encourage businesses in Scotland to capitalise on the economic opportunity, whether by exporting to China's rapidly growing consumer markets or by developing other, mutually profitable, business relationships.
Strengthening our engagement with China is partly about positioning ourselves - marketing what Scotland has to offer - more effectively within China. But equally important is the need to equip ourselves domestically for stronger engagement, particularly through increasing our collective understanding of China and its rich and diverse culture. Our own culture and lives will be enriched as a result of our engagement with China; and Scotland has much to offer China in areas including business, education, science and culture.
This strategy sets out the objectives that will guide our engagement with China to 2010. These national objectives are backed up by targets and indicators that will enable us to track our progress across many fronts. These objectives are for Scotland as a whole: government alone cannot deliver them. The role of government is to lead and to create the environment in which the broad range of Sino-Scottish relations can flourish.
We hope that stakeholders in both Scotland and China will join us in this endeavour.
Tom McCabe, MSP
Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform
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