International Relations and Defence Committee
The UK and China’s security and trade relationship: A strategic void
1st Report of Session 2021-22 - published 10 September 2021 - HL Paper 62
Contents
Figure 1: Map of China and its immediate neighbours
Background to the UK-China relationship
Box 1: UK-China relations timeline
Global Britain and the Integrated Review
Chapter 2: The UK’s approach since 2010
Box 2: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
The current Government’s approach
Box 3: The Indo-Pacific region
Consistency of strategy towards China
Chapter 3: China’s position and outlook
The rise of China and Chinese foreign policy
Priorities of the Communist Party of China
China’s approach to national security
China’s economic policy under Xi Jinping
Chinese approach to global governance
The Belt and Road Initiative and Digital Silk Road
Figure 2: Map of the Belt and Road Initiative
The place of the United Kingdom
Chapter 4: The UK’s partners and allies
Co-operation with partners and allies
Box 4: Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
Regional and international organisations
Multilateral formats of co-operation
Traditional security challenges
Box 5: The Five Power Defence Arrangements
Non-traditional security challenges
The UK’s threat assessment of China
China as a “systemic competitor”
Areas of co-operation with China
Chapter 6: Current scale and nature of trade and investment
Figure 3: UK trade with China as a percentage of total trade (goods and services), 1999–2019
Table 1: UK-China product trade comparisons 2019
Opportunities for increased trade and investment
Barriers to increased trade and investment
Competition with state-owned enterprises
Intellectual property and forced technology transfer
Chapter 7: Future of trade and investment
A future trade or investment agreement
Box 6: Parliamentary opposition to a trade agreement with China
Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership
Risks associated with economic engagement
Chinese involvement in British universities
Dependency and supply chain vulnerabilities
Balancing economic relations with the UK’s values
Chapter 8: Key strategic themes
Summary of conclusions and recommendations
Appendix 1: List of Members and declarations of interest
Evidence is published online at: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1067/the-uks-security-and-trade-relationship-with-china/ and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020 7219 3074).
Q in footnotes refers to a question in oral evidence.