When the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office published its new international development strategy in May, curious readers encountered a new concept: “British Investment Partnerships.”
Unabashedly geopolitical, the strategy leaned heavily into the themes of trade and economic investment, seeking also to “deliver for people here in the UK … [through] export opportunities … creating jobs right across the country.” China was not mentioned by name in the document but is widely understood to be the source of “economic coercion and restriction” that the U.K. seeks “to offer an alternative to.”
But what are British Investment Partnerships, and what is their aim? And can BIP help deliver on development, all while competing with China?