across northern ireland and western scotland. through the evening, some patchy rain gets down into the midlands, but by the time the front sets across southern and eastern england by the end of the night, perhaps just a little drizzle really at most. clear skies behind the front, a little chilly perhaps in some of the sheltered scottish glens first thing on sunday. but, ifanything, sunday offering more widespread sunshine than saturday, cloud in the south—east eventually drifting away. a few showers on a blustery wind, though, for western scotland. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: pressure grows on the uk government to help businesses facing soaring energy bills are some of its own mps join industry bosses in asking for support.

chinese president xijinping support. chinese president xi jinping vows to unify china and taiwan. as the heightened tensions over the island continue. if china can be unified, or chinese will a happy life. if china can't unify, everyone will suffer. ,, ., , ., suffer. the united states and the taliban will— suffer. the united states and the taliban will hold _ suffer. the united states and the taliban will hold face-to-face - suffer. the united states and the i taliban will hold face-to-face talks taliban will hold face—to—face talks on their first meeting since the group seized control of afghanistan in august. women in the uk who are travelling home alone could soon be offered protection from a free mobile phone app. pope francis launches what catholics have described as the most ambitious project of church reform in six decades. now on bbc news, it's time for dateline london.

hello and welcome to the programme which brings together bbc specialists with the foreign correspondents who write and broadcast for audiences back home from dateline london. this week... is borisjohnson promises to rebuild britain, where there could be delays. had made in taiwan soon become made in china? and why biden�*s buddies are not doing his bidding. joining us is marc roche from belgium and has spent three decades explaining the british to the french. jef mcallister is a us—born lawyerfor american media. and with me in the studio, we are delighted to have bbc asia pacific editor celia hatton. it's full steam ahead for britain's post brexit economy

after the covid restriction according to the prime minister addressing his party. borisjohnson declared himself unconcerned by staff shortages delaying if not imperilling the recovery. not enough lorry drivers to deliver petrol. not enough butchers to put meat on the christmas plate. mrjohnson�*s response, this isn't a government problem. employers should pay more. spiralling energy costs making things more expensive to produce consuming everyone else needs to make more money in order to stand still. marc, the adam smith institute bears the name of a great economist who many conservatives revere and have done for the last couple of centuries. they said at the prime minister's speech, bomb backed — bombastic, but vacuous and economically illiterate? is that a fair assessment? economically illiterate? is that a fairassessment? it economically illiterate? is that a fair assessment?— economically illiterate? is that a fair assessment? it is economically illiterate because _

fair assessment? it is economically illiterate because what _ fair assessment? it is economically illiterate because what he - fair assessment? it is economically illiterate because what he wants i fair assessment? it is economically illiterate because what he wants to | illiterate because what he wants to do is replace a model, an economic model, based on low wages, low productivity and massive emigration, by a future model based on high wages, based on high productivity, and also limited immigration, mostly skilled. you can't do that short—term or medium—term, and there's another problem. as a cultural problem. the young, british, unskilled workers don't want to do the job eu british, unskilled workers don't want to do thejob eu immigrants were doing, that is the fruit picker or the vegetable picker, the butchers or the driver, and to change that you need massive investment in training, infrastructure, and the government at the moment doesn't have lots of money. so at the moment it's voodoo econometrics.

we heard the prime minister say supply chain problems are temporary. i noticed on friday he appoint a new adviser. a supply chain adviser. in a sense, he has a point, doesn't he? in a properly functioning economy, if there is a shortage of labour, employers respond by improving working conditions and increasing wages. that's true. if it is properly functioning. but i think marc's point is right. this happens more over the medium and long term, not immediately. and i know we can't speak the b word, brexit. we have to blame everything on covid. but both are disruptors in the short term. i think everyone likes the idea of a britain that is able to pay its workers well enough to do the miserable jobs that they don't want to do, but that time is not

coming any time soon. in fact, one of britain's problems for the last 50 years has been low productivity compared to its competitors, and that might be because there's so many small businesses. it doesn't appear to be because of immigration or the fact there've been a lot of poles who have been painted the same way as british people. this is a very tricky long—term problem, and the government if it's intelligent will want to put in long terms incentives, but i did a phd thesis on british productivity problems in the 1950s and thereafter, and all the problems are the same. low investment in training, low investment in r&d, and these take a long time to fix, and the government doesn't have the money to do the investing or the time to make it all happen within boris johnson's term. maybe it won't make

any difference anyway. it might be worth you dusting off a copy and popping it in an envelope to ten downing st! it might be gratefully received. i wouldn't wish that on anybody! celia hatton. you know the old nursery rhyme about the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. lost on businesses at sea at the moment. we had about the butchers, not enough of them. i understand scottish bakers did a survey back in the summer, 75% of their members couldn't recruit enough staff. that made me think of the candlestick maker. i spoke tojonny baker, the candlestick maker where i come from in devon, he said he buys soya wax, it is to take in three weeks to order it and arrive, and now takes 20 weeks. as a consumer, have you been noticing this on the shelves? absolutely. we're all getting an education

in global supply chains. - you go to one shop and it might be out of— you go to one shop and it might be out of milk. — you go to one shop and it might be out of milk. you _ you go to one shop and it might be out of milk, you go _ you go to one shop and it might be out of milk, you go to— you go to one shop and it might be out of milk, you go to another- you go to one shop and it might be out of milk, you go to another andi out of milk, you go to another and it might _ out of milk, you go to another and it might be — out of milk, you go to another and it might be out— out of milk, you go to another and it might be out of— out of milk, you go to another and it might be out of bread. - out of milk, you go to another and it might be out of bread. boris - it might be out of bread. boris johnson — it might be out of bread. boris johnson has _ it might be out of bread. boris johnson has said _ it might be out of bread. boris johnson has said employers. it might be out of bread. boris i johnson has said employers must begin— johnson has said employers must begin to — johnson has said employers must begin to pay— johnson has said employers must begin to pay more. _ johnson has said employers must begin to pay more, but _ johnson has said employers must begin to pay more, but from - johnson has said employers must| begin to pay more, but from what johnson has said employers must- begin to pay more, but from what i'm learning _ begin to pay more, but from what i'm learning it _ begin to pay more, but from what i'm learning it really— begin to pay more, but from what i'm learning it really is _ begin to pay more, but from what i'm learning it really is the _ begin to pay more, but from what i'm learning it really is the poor, - learning it really is the poor, especially— learning it really is the poor, especially in _ learning it really is the poor, especially in london, - learning it really is the poor, especially in london, that. learning it really is the poor, | especially in london, that are paying — especially in london, that are paying more~ _ i spoke with one taxi driver- who said he hasn't been able to work very much because he just can't get the petrol into his taxi _ to get on with hisjob. also, in shops, when supplies run | low, it's the cheapest items thatl tend to run out first. richer people can reach for the next more expensive thing on the shelf. i poorer people can't. i think the poor are really bearing the brunt of - these patchy supply chains. jef, at what point does the prime minister rhetoric and the economic reality become so glaring that we start to see some kind of public reaction to it?

thus far, all the opinions suggest the prime minister remains by a mile, by a country mile of the most popular political leader. and his party is comfortably ahead in most surveys of voting intention. this is the £64 billion question. he does have remarkable buoyancy, part of— he does have remarkable buoyancy, part of that — he does have remarkable buoyancy, part of that is his personal charm, part of that is his personal charm, part of— part of that is his personal charm, part of it — part of that is his personal charm, part of it is — part of that is his personal charm, part of it is the labour party is becaimed _ part of it is the labour party is becalmed and very confused about what it _ becalmed and very confused about what it can — becalmed and very confused about what it can do to make itself different _ what it can do to make itself different from him and regain its northern— different from him and regain its northern seats. he also has that wonderful gift of not having to be a detail person. this is something that hillary clinton suffered from. she always had to be the smartest person in the room. donald trump could say, "i don't care." and people liked him for it.

his rasputin, dominic cummings, told parliament and told others that he was dreadful about covid. he had really screwed up the response and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. and people sort of shook it off. of course, over time, the barnacles attach to any government, but this government's been around for 11 or 12 years. somehow, they've been reinvented. it's a remarkable story and it will have to be a lot worse before he bears the political price. marc, is there something to be said for political leaders in what i think baldwin used to call master activity? — masterly inactivity? well, you can't call a french president... masterly inactivity.

all of them have been hyperactive. macron i think has brought a bit more stability, he is the favourite to win the election. he has a plan to modernise france. the british are out of the europe and germany is not the force it was in the past with the new coalition. to put france at the centre of europe. so, i think the french are at the moment better positioned than the british because they have the same strong leadership, but a vision which, of course, borisjohnson doesn't have or was incapable to describe it in the conference speech. thank you all very much. japan's new prime minister took office on monday.

he's a former foreign minister. just as well, because troubl appears to be brewing the pacific. the chinese military dispatch 52 aircraft. the fourth day in succession of incursions. since it regards the island as a prophet of china, —a — a province of china. beijing acknowledges no issues. it knows full well, there is one. after six hours, diplomats agreed presidentjoe biden and xijinping will see each other on zoom. it would be a lovely call to hack into! they talk hours, days of lug associations and emails to get an agreement to meet face—to—face. absolutely. i think the sides have come - to the point where they've agreed that they need to communicate more. i'll call this a screen summit.

it is taking place at a really unusuat— it is taking place at a really unusual time. _ it is taking place at a really unusual time. of— it is taking place at a really unusual time. of course i it is taking place at a really. unusual time. of course they it is taking place at a really- unusual time. of course they will be speaking _ unusual time. of course they will be speaking about _ unusual time. of course they will be speaking about some _ unusual time. of course they will be speaking about some of _ unusual time. of course they will be speaking about some of the - unusual time. of course they will be speaking about some of the usual. speaking about some of the usual things— speaking about some of the usual things that — speaking about some of the usual things that appear— speaking about some of the usual things that appear over— speaking about some of the usual things that appear over and - speaking about some of the usual things that appear over and over. | trade, the technology war. but there are also big i issues on the agenda that aren't always discussed. we've got cop26 coming up on the horizon. - china has not committed - to a delegation, but it's widely agreed that if these two countries lcan't get together, it could turnl the tide for the entire summit. there's one thing. also, we have to think of beijing. beijing is very anxious right now. it's got the winter i olympics coming up. that might not be important for many people, but beijing is very anxious i about the threat of a diplomatic boycott by the united states. i the us senate has passed a bill advocating such a boycott. i it will go in front of congress. beijing would like to|

avert this if possible. also, we've got military tensions, as you referred to. _ tensions over taiwan, i around the east china sea, i both sides really guilty of rampingl up military tensions at the moment. i think this will take - place at an unusual time, but also on a screen and in an unusuat— but also on a screen and in an unusual place _ marc, in the wake of the row of aukus. how does all this look from paris and comes back from brussels as well? the developments in the pacific region? well, britain is wrong because britain has nothing to give. also, unreliable country like australia of dealing with the us,

it will be a junior partner, and anyway after afghanistan completely a nyway after afg ha nista n com pletely unreliable. the obvious ally is france because it has indo pacific presidents, — indo pacific presence... it has territory there, it has an army like the british army, it has a permanent seat on the european continent. — european council. and i think as soon asjohnson mends fences with macron it is the best. i have a suggestion, why doesn't he buy, because they are cheap at the moment, the submarines the australians don't want? i'm sure macron could make your products! make a deal he couldn't possibly refuse. as long as they're not gas powered i think we might be onto something. jef, with aukus, with the first ever face—to—face meeting of the four nations, they haven't actually met but they did come

to washington to meetjoe biden — do you get a sense that there is finally a biden strategy emerging about china? in fits and starts. i think biden's idea in foreign policy generally and also with china and the asia—pacific is alliances matter. he is the anti—trump. he's going to try to build gradually the kind of alliances that the united states knows how to run from the cold war. and, in fairness, even during the cold war, which came out ok for the us, at the time, it looks often that the russians were stronger and smarter and had more tools to play with countries around the world and the americans felt on the defensive and the dominoes were always falling. so, even though china appears to have the making the weather these days and new ways of testing, you can understand that perhaps

the americans want to fall back on this idea that with time, they can build alliances that will stand up. now, this is a different opponent. the chinese are embedded in the american economy in a much different way. in all the other economies, they're able to penetrate all the computer networks that the american companies and the american government to a much greater degree. they are a much more subtle opponent, and i think with many of the allies in the pacific and potential, they had to be worried that while joe biden is the adult and the recognisable figure, who really knows what's going to happen? the coherence of the western alliance is in a very different place from what it was in those days. biden is fighting hard to make it look like he can pull it off, but only time will see how much

he's able to. how unnerved do you think is fumio kishida and his colleagues by by the way china is rattling everyone's cage around the south china sea and around those disputed islands, and for effecting those other neighbours as well? i islands, and for effecting those other neighbours as well? i think he will do what — other neighbours as well? i think he will do what his _ other neighbours as well? i think he will do what his predecessors - other neighbours as well? i think he will do what his predecessors did. . i think fumio kishida will walk a very careful path. _ it's notable that on his second day in office, l he spoke to president biden, but on the fourth day, - he spent twice as long - on the phone with xi jinping. that is really an acknowledgement thatjapan— that is really an acknowledgement thatjapan has— that is really an acknowledgement that japan has a _ that is really an acknowledgement that japan has a lot _ that is really an acknowledgement that japan has a lot of— that is really an acknowledgement that japan has a lot of importancel that japan has a lot of importance to ptace _ that japan has a lot of importance to ptace on— that japan has a lot of importance to place on its— that japan has a lot of importance to place on its relationship- that japan has a lot of importance to place on its relationship with l to place on its relationship with bay showing, _ to place on its relationship with bay showing, and _ to place on its relationship with bay showing, and of— to place on its relationship with bay showing, and of course i to place on its relationship with bay showing, and of course it l to place on its relationship with| bay showing, and of course it is concerned — bay showing, and of course it is concerned about _ bay showing, and of course it is concerned about aggression i bay showing, and of course it is i concerned about aggression across the taiwan— concerned about aggression across the taiwan straight. _ kishida already said he wants to put more money into coastal security, i more money into missile defence.

that's also because both times he was on the phone, - he was probably thinking about north korea, i they are a real concern. they have tested four missiles in the last— they have tested four missiles in the last month. _ they have tested four missiles in the last month.— they have tested four missiles in the last month. . , ., , ., the last month. and they always over ja an! or the last month. and they always over japan! 0r very _ the last month. and they always over japan! or very close. _ i think that's one of. the common concerns. whether he's on the phone | with washington or beijing. north korea is always in the mind as well. l just on that, marc roche, he was asked with the american with the american people back military action if china were to attack thai one? he was very doubtful about that. do you think maybe taiwan should be looking for insurance elsewhere in case china's rhetoric turns into reality? well, europe at the moment, there is a delegation and taiwan

—a — a french delegation... close to president macron. in the chinese were furious about it, but it went on. the eu is starting negotiations with taiwan. with some sort of agreement. in a way, the eu is more detriment to engage with taiwan. but eu is divided because there are countries which emphasise human rights or the treatment of democracies, and that's france and scandinavia. on the other hand, you have countries who have very important chinese investment like greece and germany, who would be... opposed to it. so in a way, again,

the eu is divided, and that is the strength of china. some good news forjoe biden. on wednesday, a texas judge blocked the new abortion law. on thursday, the government capitulated on corporate tax rates. on other fronts, capitulated on corporate tax rates. on otherfronts, he is struggling. the media is turning on administration which promised transparency yet seems intent on inflating mr biden from being posed off topic questions. his recovery plan appears to be in trouble not because of republicans, because members of congress on his own side. jef, walk us through some of these problems he's facing, particularly in congress. i think you'll have to look at his problems in three dimensions, starting closest in. yes, there are problems among his own caucus. this is inevitable because they are divided,

but they're still talking, and i think they are ideologically not compatible. but the bigger threat is with the republicans and congress is divided 50—50. it takes only a few senators to say they won't do it. it gives them huge leverage. some are not interested in biden's agenda and are willing to stop it. and the third level out is really what is the republican party now? the last time, under obama, mitch mcconnell said his job was to make him a failed president. and he's doing it again. he means to slow everything down and make things unpleasant so that in the midterm elections, the democrats look like they are not getting anything done. then this backdrop of donald trump and the republican party,

who believe joe biden is not the legitimate us president. i think trump is running again. it's a much tougher environment to get anything done, and biden is playing by the rules that he has to play by, which is old—fashioned horse trading in washington to get anything done. i think his assumption was if you can get these big packages done, there would be a recovery from covid, things would look better, happy days are here again and the democrats would be ok in the midterms and there could be a platform to win again. but it's looking sour. of course the economy is not in terrible — of course the economy is not in terrible shape. things are getting better. there are some good signs, but the mood music and the obstructionism of republican party that is not ronald reagan's republican party means it's quite perilous for any democratic president, and i am very concerned not just aboutjoe biden,

but about the future of the country if this is the nature of what republicans have become. just on some of those other issues, we have those terrible images of haitian people being beaten with whips from the border by us immigration forces. how does that kind of thing go down? in canada, where there have been certain expectations. biden's message during the campaign on immigration was very different to trump _ it's fascinating to watch i this debate from canada. i read a lot of canadian newspapers, and of course those scenes - were described as abhorrent. i but there have been a lot of peoplel who come out of haitian communities in canada to say, how dare you, canadian government? - when there was a huge earthquake, the canadian government— said they stood ready.

let us know how we can help. some of the haitian immigrant communities have said, - why don't you let more refugees and? — let more refugees in? in 2017, there was a huge wave of asylum—seekers who came l from the united states- who were haitian into canada to try to claim refugee status, - and canada has quietly been sending many of those people home. two out of three applications on average are rejected, i so of course those scenes have been — there's been no repetition - in canada, but that doesn't mean other governments are really doing much to help _ i suppose one issue is with the left wing ofjoe biden's own party. who might also say actually, why waste time trying to engage with republicans? it didn't work for obama. it isn't going to work for you. well, you know, at the moment of course, that's the situation. but we knowjoe biden has succeeded in one area, which has not been mentioned.

it's the tax on corporation multinationals. the prodigal son of ireland has forced the irish to accept 15% of tax instead of 12.5 where others failed. i think it shows that joe biden has some leverage, at least in ireland, and its welcome to because we do not need to have all these tax havens all over the place. the only caveat is thatjoe biden represents the biggest tax haven in the us. laughter. marc roche, jef mcallister,

celia hatton, thank you very much. that's dateline london. back at the same time next week. from all of us on the programme, goodbye. we are putting a lot of very warm air up from a good way south in the atlantic, it's essentially tropical air. ., , , ., ., air. here goes this band of rain throu~h air. here goes this band of rain through the — air. here goes this band of rain through the afternoon, - air. here goes this band of rain through the afternoon, sinking| air. here goes this band of rain l through the afternoon, sinking a eastern scotland into northern england and wales, perhaps just a few shows of the south—west as it moves in here. ahead, temperatures

of 19 or 20. to the rear of it in some sunshine and warmth of scotland and northern ireland. but the weather front is a marker between the very warm air to the south and air more typical of that we would sit in at this time of year coming in from the north—west. perhaps chilly weather winds full light across some of the scottish glens by the end of the night. here goes the front through the weekend weakening all the way because high pushes trying to squeeze in from the west. across southern and eastern england, first thing on sunday, may be some drizzle, some cabinet will brighten all the while, then a much brighter start for scotland and northern ireland, quite windy across scotland, gusty westerly winds and those will usher in some showers. we can still be looking at up to 20 degrees across southern england and south wales on sunday but to the north of the uk temperatures mid—teens more typically. then enter the new week high pressure sets to

the new week high pressure sets to the south, weather fronts will try to sneak into the north. for scotland there will be wet weather around, particularly in the west on monday. perhaps something at life in northern ireland and northern england. to the south a lot of fine weather underneath that high pressure, but with a high at this time of year there is the risk of generating the same problem we had first thing on saturday, dense and lingering patches of fog, and that's likely to be the story for many mornings for the week ahead to the south of the uk. and we never see a return of those 20 degrees highs. temperatures looking like they will sit widely in the mid—teens in the days ahead. a lot of fine weather to come, the wettest weather probably for scotland again by the end of the week and some showers for northern ireland.

this is bbc news — these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. pressure grows on the uk government to help businesses facing soaring energy bills as some of its own mps join industry bosses in asking for support. chinese president, xijinping, vows to unify china and taiwan as heightened tensions over the island continue. translation: if china can be | unified, all chinese will enjoy a happy life. if china can't unify, everyone will suffer. the united states and the taliban will hold face to face talks in their first meeting since the group seized control of afghanistan in august. women in the uk who are travelling home alone, could soon

be offered protection from a free mobile phone app.