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(Full page photo of Dr. Vince Cable)

Q. Do you follow the theories that we must look east for business opportunities to the powerhouses of India and China?

A. There is a profound change in the world economy taking place: a rapid shift in its centre of gravity to emerging, or re-emerging, economies like China and India. They will dominate the world economy and international trade for years to come. Specifically, the global middle class is likely to grow to more than a billion people by 2030. China is witnessing 10 per cent quarterly growth, while India’s growth is not much less. That’s not a theory, it’s a fact, and it means UK firms, and UK goods, have great potential opportunities. But it goes further than China and India. Turkey, Mexico, the Middle East, Brazil, Russia and Africa all present opportunities for our firms, products, technology or services; and the UK presents opportunities for companies from these countries to invest.

Q. India has been very much in the headlines recently. With your recent visits there with a huge business delegation, do you feel India represents the UK’s biggest growth prospects in terms of international trade?

A. Our bilateral trade with India is relatively poor considering our historical ties. So it is certainly one area where (Continued on page ...)