Britain’s ambassador to China has written to Theresa May, home secretary, and other senior ministers complaining that the “fortress UK” image they have portrayed is deterring wealthy Chinese tourists from visiting the country.
Sebastian Wood, who heads the British embassy in Beijing, writes that the government should quench the flow of “completely self-defeating” rhetoric about its visa regime which only invites potential visitors to “take their tourism dollars elsewhere”, according to a copy of the letter published on 6th June by the Evening Standard.
Mr Wood has also forwarded the document to David Cameron, prime minister, Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, William Hague, foreign secretary and George Osborne, chancellor.