As the world watched Donald Trump shake hands with Xi Jinping in Beijing, British diplomats were taking notes. The spectacle of a US president bowing to Chinese protocol was a masterclass in transactional diplomacy. But what did it mean for the British worker? For the price of a loaf of bread in Manchester? Not much, directly. But the signals sent from that Great Hall of the People will echo in the trade corridors of Whitehall.
Trade deals were not the only currency on display. Trump’s visit was a reminder that China plays a long game. They invest in infrastructure, in influence, in relationships. Meanwhile, Westminster cuts ribbons and hopes for the best. The British embassy in Beijing watched as tariffs were hinted at, then dropped, then hinted again. Workers in the UK’s steel and car industries are left guessing what comes next.
Union leaders I spoke to this week are uneasy. They see the China-US trade war as a threat to jobs in the Midlands. One told me, “Our government is just a passenger on this ride.” Regional inequality is the silent partner in these talks. Northern factories have already felt the chill from global trade winds. The spectacle in Beijing does not help them pay the bills.
British diplomats learned that power is spectacle. But here at home, the real economy is not a show. It is a daily grind for wages that do not keep up with rents. So while the cameras roll in Beijing, workers in Bolton stockpile essentials. The price of bread might not be on the agenda, but it is always on the table.
