How China-UK relations have evolved

Abstract

The last state visit by a leader of China to the UK was a decade ago. In the space of a mere 10 years, China has changed dramatically. Its economy now is over three times what it was when Hu Jintao visited in 2005. While the UK and most other developed countries suffered during the great financial crisis from 2008, China forged ahead. The country that exists now has an emerging middle class, working in the services sectors, living in the vast new cities being renovated or simply built from scratch, whose future patterns of consumption will be crucial for global growth.