A senior UK official, who represented Scottish interests at the British Embassy in Beijing from 2010/12, has criticised the Scottish Government's China Plan in evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee.
The remarks by Philip Morgan a former senior policy adviser on China and India for the UK Government who was later seconded to the Scottish Government as First Secretary for Scottish Affairs in Beijing, are especially pointed as he contributed to the original document.
In written evidence to the European and External Relations Committee prior to its meeting this Thursday, Mr Morgan, now working as a private China consultant, declared an interest, by stating that he provided the "Chinese context" of the original plan, published in 2006.
However, he added that "a plan is only as good as its implementation", before appearing to vent his frustration with progress, in five scathing criticisms.
The list of alleged shortcomings includes failure to assess risks, failure to quantify and allocate resources, insufficient governance, failure to maximise the opportunities of ministerial visits, and lack of integration with Scottish domestic policy.
"In my dealings with Scottish Government policymakers, an international perspective often appears as a bolt-on and an optional extra," he wrote.
"I believe that a more integrated approach in policy-making will greatly enhance not only the delivery of the Government's domestic policy agenda, but also the implementation of its China Plan."
He added: "Many of the targets set out are dependent on the contribution of other parties and over which the Scottish Government has little or no control. If the plan is to be effectively delivered, there needs to be a proper identification and assessment of risks so remedial action can be taken if need be. What are the success criteria?"
"The plan does not specify the level of resource required. Is there enough resource? Is the resource allocated to the areas that provide the best return and value for money? This is an important factor in terms of accountability and effective monitoring".
Mr Morgan praised the "enterprise and commitment" of Scottish companies and organisations, responsible for ensuring "Scotland has a unique relationship with China and on a scale that far outweighs its comparative size and population". He also praised Scotland's commitment to successive plans as "providing China with a statement of commitment."
But he warned "If Scotland is to take advantage of the opportunities in China, it will require a major step-change and, frankly, I don't get the impression from the plan that it is addressing the imperative of doing more business in China"
Scotland's policy towards China was previously the subject of criticism in January this year, when Denis Taylor, a former senior executive of Scottish Development International, queried the return on public investment in China, saying that the China Plan had added "at best 0.05% to our GDP, economically a drop in the ocean"
"Engagement in China should not be at the expense of trade in Europe. It has been in the past and it still is" he said.
Mr Taylor, who now runs the export agency The Hidden Office will be giving evidence to the committee on Thursday, along with Ed Payne, current head of strategy at SDI and Owen Kelly, chief executive of financial industry group Scottish Financial Enterprise.
Other witnesses include James Brodie, Scotland manager of the China Britain Business Council; Angus Tulloch, managing partner of the Asia Pacific and global emerging markets equity team, First State Investments, and James Anderson, partner and head of global equities for Baillie Gifford.
The European External Affairs committee, chaired by SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, is set to produce a report on the new China plan in June this year, addressing "whether the absence of the China plan is a potential disadvantage to trade and investment?".
Ms McKelvie told The Herald: "Thursday is our first formal evidence session of our inquiry which looks at the economic realities of international trade and inward investment. We've been meeting with companies across Scotland to hear first-hand from them."
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "We are effectively managing all of these issues, including any risks and we are confident that our China Strategy – which was developed in close consultation with partners – will deliver significant benefits for Scotland."
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