One hundred and fifty years ago, Scottish business interests in China would have been promoted by a gunboat. Now, an initiative started by Alex Salmond has resulted in the Chinese Government’s recognizing geographical indication of origin status for Scotch whisky.
Although consumption of Scotch by Chinese customers still lags far behind that of traditional baiju, this will secure exports worth tens of millions for Scottish producers. I would recommend a bottle of Old Pulteney for any bar in Shanghai.
Another significant score for British exporters have been the restoration of trade in pig products, which were halted during the H1N1 outbreak. Furthermore, pigmeat is a cornerstone of Chinese diet with a massive domestic swineherd, so any desire to import products or breeding stock shows great demand.
