In the context of China's "Going Global" objectives, appetite for investment into the UK real estate market, especially through big-ticket development opportunities, appears insatiable. At the same time, there is increasingly candid acknowledgement of the risks and impacts of China's continued urbanisation process in relation to economic competitiveness, social well-being and environmental sustainability.
By bringing these two themes together into constructive bilateral dialogue, both countries have the chance to work together to deliver some genuinely breakthrough outcomes.
Urbanisation on steroids
Everyone knows that China is massive and urbanising at an astonishing rate, but the true scale of this urban growth has to be seen to be believed. Even when faced with the visual reality, it remains difficult to comprehend the enormity of what is happening, and the implications this poses for the region and the world. Clone armies of tower blocks rise into smog-choked skies, often in the middle of absolutely nowhere; cranes and scaffolding adorn the skyline as cities of already gargantuan scale continue to spread their concrete edge; roads (so many roads!) lace the landscape as though someone has been careless with a giant bowl of noodles.
Digital integration
Within this context, China is racing on with its smart cities agenda. Supported by state-owned companies such as Digital China (our host and guide for much of the week), cities across the country, and especially in the east, are making strides in the "informatisation" (as they would put it) of their urban systems. Frankly, some Chinese cities are way ahead of their UK peers in the integration of digital infrastructure. On the deployment of city-scale information technology, Chinese cities can probably learn more from their domestic peers than they can from the UK, if only they weren't so guarded with each other.
Smart outcomes?
But what to do with that technology investment? It seems that, in many cases, the implementation of digital infrastructure is viewed in China as the end in itself, rather than as a conduit to more efficient, resilient, productive urban systems. That's where UK expertise can certainly help; by working with its Chinese partners to get smarter about smart city infrastructure – to take binary solutions and turn them into integrated, mutually-reinforcing systems for intelligence-led urban management and, dare I suggest it, civic participation in the urban development process.
By pooling bi-lateral expertise, the potential to significantly enhance urban mobility, resource efficiency, environmental quality, disaster responses, access to social services and urban planning is there for the taking...
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