In February, international trade secretary Liam Fox gave a speech at the headquarters of media giant Bloomberg in London spelling out his ambitions for UK trade after the country leaves the EU next March. Fox told his audience about the potential for trade with countries in distant corners of the globe, noting in particular the thriving economies of South-east Asia. Their prosperity could drive demand for goods and services from those that venture there, he said. 

Fox clearly has a vested interest in talking up the UK’s trading credentials, particularly since the government is struggling to persuade MPs and the business community that it knows what it’s doing over Brexit. Last month, Eurotunnel director John Keefe was reported as saying that without knowing what a “no deal” scenario would look like, his company “can’t build infrastructure, can’t recruit people, can’t specify systems – we can’t construct anything”. Against this background, Theresa May’s government has to find a way to tell a positive tale – opportunities in South-east Asia fit that bill.

“The days of jetting in somewhere to show them how it’s done are long gone”

Ann Bentley, Rider Levett Bucknall 

To date, the surrounding region – South and East Asia – has been a goldmine for UK firms, with its booming economies, rapid population growth and demand for better standards of living fuelling investment in infrastructure and new housing. With the government suggesting that Brexit will free up the UK’s trading potential, ministers are throwing their departmental weight behind sectors such as construction – including designers and consultants – to explore similar opportunities elsewhere. 

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