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Daniel Ren

As British Prime Minister David Cameron launched a charm offensive at Shanghai Jiao Tong University yesterday, a state-owned newspaper derided the United Kingdom as merely a destination for Chinese students and tourists.
During the 40-minute meeting with students from the alma mater of former president Jiang Zemin , a relaxed Cameron took questions from the floor. The approach paid off.
"He exhibited humour, confidence and clarity of thought," said Zhang Yang, a student at Jiao Tong. "We enjoyed the open atmosphere and his style of talk."
When Cameron revealed that his old tutor at Oxford University, Vernon Bogdanor, criticised his work via e-mails even 25 years after he had left the university, the 300-odd students burst into laughter.

	Vote now on our poll: Britain is no longer a 'big' power and is only good for tourists and students. Do you agree with China state media's assessment?
Cameron is leading a 100-strong business delegation to China to encourage investment and he has posted pictures of his meeting with top businessmen, including Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, on his Facebook page.
A Global Times commentary described the UK as just "an old European country" that is only a destination for Chinese people to study and travel. It said the UK was "not a big power in the eyes of the Chinese".
It was headlined: "China won't fall for Cameron's 'sincerity'." Beijing was outraged when Cameron met the Dalai Lama last year. "Beijing needs to speed up the pace of turning its strength into diplomatic resources and make London pay the price for when it intrudes into the interests of China," the article said.
Cameron said he had told President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang that Britain was an open market for China's high-speed-railway builders.
"We think we have a lot to learn from China in this regard," he said. "My government has taken a very clear view that the countries that will succeed in the future are the countries with the most modern infrastructure."
In an apparent effort to strike a chord with his young audience, Cameron used a Chinese proverb - "one generation plants good trees and the next generation can enjoy the shade of them".
Asked to comment on the central government, Cameron said the leadership had to give priority to the "many" low-income people to enable them to benefit from economic growth.
Meanwhile, Beijing denied it had sought to target the Bloomberg news organisation by barring its reporter Robert Hutton from a joint event with Cameron and Li on Monday.
Cameron's office said that before the event, it had "raised concerns at senior levels and made clear it would be completely inappropriate to exclude journalists from the press statements".
Bloomberg's website has been blocked on the mainland since it reported last year on the wealth of Xi's family.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "We try our best to satisfy the needs of other journalists, because the site is limited there, and the arrangements we made in accordance with such requirements were no different from before."
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
 


Tiny old Britain? It's only good for study and travel, says China's state media 

The British prime minister meets Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong. He is leading a 100-strong business delegation. Photo: AP

British Prime Minister David Cameron (right) walks with Zhang Jie, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University after arriving on the campus for a speech to the students on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

British Prime Minister David Cameron backs China to 'realise its dream'

David Cameron and Li Keqiang have a private word as they arrive for a deal-signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. Photo: EPA

David Cameron's car passes the portrait of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square. Photo: AFP

Cameron kicks off China trip with soccer diplomacy

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and China's Premier Li Keqiang inspect an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Nicolas Anelka with a college student in Shanghai. Top soccer players like Anelka and Didier Drogba have been attracted to play for the big-spending Chinese Super League. Photo: Reuters

I’m backing China, says David Cameron as he arrives in Beijing

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, right, shows the way for British Prime Minister David Cameron during an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing December 2, 2013. Photo: Reuters

British Prime Minister David Cameron inspects the guard of honour. Photo: Reuters

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Tiny old Britain? It's only good for study and travel, says China's state media

.css-jfmysa{display:inline;word-break:break-word;}.css-1ankfgb{cursor:pointer;display:inline;word-break:break-word;}Vote now on our poll: Britain is no longer a 'big' power and is only good for tourists and students. Do you agree with China state media's assessment?

Vote now on our poll: Britain is no longer a 'big' power and is only good for tourists and students. Do you agree with China state media's assessment?