UK China policy lacks expertise, is incoherent: report

As an example, the audit cites a visiting Chinese delegation's observation that no senior government officials engaging with Beijing were Mandarin speakers or had significant experience living in China. While acknowledging the existence of British expertise on China, the report states it is often siloed and not effectively translated into capability.

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat endorsed the report, calling it a "clear-eyed and realistic take on the defining foreign policy problem of this century." The document accepts that disengagement is not an option but advocates for clearly defined red lines concerning critical infrastructure, frontier technologies, and human rights.

Recommendations from the report include improved institutional coordination, strengthened use of national security tools, and diversification of supply chains. It highlights emerging technologies like AI as presenting new challenges related to disinformation and surveillance. The report also identifies the climate crisis as an area where cooperation with China is necessary, despite potential reliance on supply chains tainted by forced labor and unfair trade practices.

Kerry Brown, a former diplomat and director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, welcomed the report's acknowledgment of the need for better language skills in dealing with China. However, he stressed the importance of "lived experience" in China, suggesting that some members of Ipac promote a security-oriented view that engaging with China inherently exposes individuals to risks. Brown stated that crucial learning comes from daily life in China, which is currently difficult to achieve and not adequately supported.