Foreign policy and China: Lords International Relations Committee investigating foreign policy in changed world conditions
Witnesses from Southampton University, the Royal United Services Institute, the Great Britain China Centre, Oxford University, and Sheffield University will appear before the House of Lords International Relations Committee on Wednesday 28 March as part of its inquiry UK Foreign Policy in Changed World Conditions.
The session will focus on the UK's relationship with China, the current state of China's power, maritime tensions, China's relations with Russia, and China's approach to the internet, among other issues.
The inquiry was launched in January 2018 to examine the changing face of international relations and foreign policy, and to assess the UK's strategy and capability to adapt to these changes.
Appearing at 10.40am:
- Dr Monique Chu, Lecturer in Chinese Politics, University of Southampton
- Raffaello Pantucci, Director of International Security Studies, RUSI
- Kathryn Rand, Assistant Director, Great Britain China Centre
Questions will include:
- To what extent is China the dominant power in Asia?
- What are the implications of the Belt and Road Initiative? How should the UK respond?
- How likely are maritime tensions in the South and East China Seas to escalate in the short and medium term, and how should the UK respond?
- To what extent does the UK have a role in dealing with the regional security implications of China's rise?
Appearing at 11.40am:
- Professor Rosemary Foot, Emeritus Fellow, University of Oxford
- Professor Katherine Morton, Professor of China's International Relations, University of Sheffield
Questions will include:
- President Xi Jinping has claimed that China will defend the international order. How does China see its global role? How might an international order with Chinese characteristics look?
- How seriously should the UK take the apparent decline of US-China relations and the potential for further diplomatic strife? How should the UK respond?
- China and Russia have made significant public pronouncements of friendship in recent years, how important is Moscow for Beijing's global ambitions? How strong is the relationship?
- How does China approach the internet? What implications are there for global attempts to regulate cyberspace in the context of increasing security threats?
- How important is the UK-China relationship to both parties? To what extent can the UK use this relationship to promote its interests and values?
The evidence session will take place in Committee Room 4.
