Veerle Nouwens, a research fellow with the Royal United Services Institute's Asia Studies, said Brandis' lecture posed important questions for Boris Johnson's government as it forges its new China policy after Brexit. "The UK is currently pursuing more free-trade agreements, including with China, and is in the midst of defining its wider foreign policy as part of the integrated review process," Nouwens said. "While allies and partners will feature prominently in the UK’s foreign policy moving forward, a question remains over how it will balance its relationship with Beijing."