Tom Tugendhat, Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee

UK-China relations are under increasing strain, with rifts over Hong Kong, Huawei, and human rights issues compounding broader trade and geopolitical tensions. A major driving force behind the UK government’s change in approach to Beijing has been the China Research Group (CRG), a cross-party initiative established in April 2020 to ‘promote debate and fresh thinking about how Britain should respond to the rise of China.’

Tom Tugendhat, Head of the China Research Group and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, will return to Asia House on 18 March for a digital briefing with Corporate Members on the latest developments in UK-China relations.

Speaking following the inauguration of President Biden; the conclusion of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment; the UK’s recent application to join the CPTPP; and the announcement of a new Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Tugendhat will brief members on the UK’s changing attitude towards China, and how this could play out in the UK’s post-Brexit ‘tilt’ towards the Indo-Pacific. Tugendhat will also consider the UK’s global leadership role in 2021 with its G7 and COP26 presidencies, and the prospects for greater transatlantic alignment on China under the Biden Administration.

Tom Tugendhat is the Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling, and the Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Prior to being elected to Parliament in 2015, Tugendhat served in the British Army until July 2013, serving in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including as the military assistant and principal adviser to the Chief of the Defence Staff. In July 2017, he was elected Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

This digital briefing is held exclusively for Asia House Corporate Members. To register interest in attending, please contact Edward Danks at edward.danks@asiahouse.co.uk