New Labour, New Best Friend

The Glorious Successor has been laying the basis for a new special relationship with China, doubtless on the basis of shared values such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, transparency in government and the enlightened occupation of other countries. He believes that "tens of thousands" of British jobs for British workers will thus be created, because "we are able to sell to China ... financial and business services and environmental technologies" which have contributed so much to Britain's brilliant economy, dynamic infrastructure and plentiful domestic water supplies. He also believes that "a whole range of British brands ... are now becoming very popular among the rising number of Chinese consumers" and has instructed the Chinese government to the effect that he wishes to see "100 new Chinese companies investing in Britain by 2010 and 100 new educational partnerships between the two countries", presumably because these nice round figures make such good reading in the press releases. For the sake of "the success of the global economy as a whole", to which these dealings are "absolutely crucial", we must hope that the Chinese are better at fulfilling their business plans than New Labour is at reaching its targets on such trivia as carbon emissions and child poverty.