The coronavirus crisis and the introduction of a new security law in Hong Kong has underlined the need for a better understanding of China's place in the world and an urgent reappraisal of the UK-China bilateral relationship. In his speech, Tom Tugendhat discussed why it is necessary to recalibrate UK foreign policy towards China to fully acknowledge the consolidation of power in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party under President Xi Jinping.

Tom Tugendhat MBE MP is the Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling, and the Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. A fluent Arabic speaker, Tom served in the British Army until July 2013. In his decorated military and intelligence career, he served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and, most recently, as the Military Assistant and Principal Adviser to the Chief of the Defence Staff. In 2015, he was elected as the Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling. In July 2017, Tom was elected as the youngest-ever Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and was reappointed by his Commons peers to the position in January 2020.

The webinar was moderated by Dr Jonathan Eyal, Associate Director, Strategic Research Partnerships, RUSI