Committees

China and the UK economy

Inquiry

In this inquiry, the Business and Trade Committee will scrutinise the Government’s approach to economic engagement with China. In particular, it will assess the potential net benefits to the UK of deeper economic integration with China, and how these benefits compare to the risks that closer ties with China may bring.

The Committee will aim to clarify the precise nature of the economic relationship between the UK and China, setting out the hazards involved and determining the relative level of risk for different areas of economic engagement. It will assess the way Government weighs trade-offs and makes decisions, the effectiveness of its existing regulatory toolkit and implementation. Finally, it will explore how the UK’s allies and partners are mitigating these risks, the lessons that the UK could draw, and the ways in which the UK and its allies might strengthen co-operation to address the economic security challenges posed by China.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 10 April 2026.

Upcoming events

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No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 30 June 2026
2:30pm Public
Oral evidence session 30 June 2026
China and the UK economy - Oral evidence
2:30pm
  • Chris Bryant MP (Minister for Trade at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Kate Joseph (Director General, Economic Security and Trade Relations at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Lewis Neal (HM Trade Commissioner for China at Department for Business and Trade)
Employment rights - Oral evidence
3:30pm
  • Tom Ironside (Director of Business and Regulation at British Retail Consortium)
  • Joanne Thomas (General Secretary at Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers)
  • David Sheen (Public Affairs Director at UK Hospitality)
  • Mr Sampson Low (Head of Policy at UNISON)
4:15pm
  • Matthew Taylor CBE (Chair at Fair Work Agency)
  • Mr Tim Harrison (Director Policy Insights, Strategy and Impact Directorate at Fair Work Agency)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 9 June 2026
2:30pm Public
China and the UK economy - Oral evidence 9 June 2026
2:30pm
  • Professor Madeline Carr (Professor of Global Politics and Cyber Security at University College London, Department of Computer Science)
  • Charles Parton OBE (Associate Fellow at Council on Geostrategy)
  • Tor Indstøy (Vice-President, Risk Management and Threat Intelligence at Telenor)
3:10pm
  • Professor Christopher Smith (Executive Chair, Arts and Humanities Research Council at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI))
  • Ben Moore (Head of Policy (International) at Russell Group)
  • Sam Dunning (Director at UK-China Transparency)
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 19 May 2026
1:45pm Private
2:30pm Public
China and the UK economy - Oral evidence 19 May 2026
2:30pm
  • Silvia Gavornikova (Head of Export Credits and Competition Division, Trade and Agriculture Directorate at Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD))
  • George Magnus (Former Chief Economist at UBS and Research Associate at University of Oxford China Centre)
  • Soumaya Keynes (Author of "How to Win a Trade War" and Columnist at Financial Times)
  • Joerg Wuttke (Former President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China and Partner at DGA Group)
3:15pm
  • Sam Olsen (Chief Analyst at Sibylline)
  • Grzegorz Stec (Head of Brussels Office and Senior Analyst at Mercator Institute for China Studies)
  • Andrew Small (Asia Programme Director at European Council on Foreign Relations)
  • Professor Laura Murphy (Professor of Human Rights and Contemporary Slavery at Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University)
4:00pm
  • Aline Doussin (Partner, Global Regulatory at Hogan Lovells)
  • Dr Ron Black
  • Sam Goodman (Senior Policy Director at China Strategic Risks Institute)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 21 April 2026
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
China and the UK economy - Oral evidence 21 April 2026
2:30pm
  • Rain Newton-Smith (Chief Executive at Confederation of British Industry (CBI))
  • Peter Burnett OBE (Chief Executive at China-Britain Business Council)
3:10pm
  • James Brougham (Senior Economist at Make UK)
  • Shaun Grady (Chair at AstraZeneca UK)
  • Julian Scriven (Managing Director of Bike Hire at Brompton Bicycle)
3:50pm
  • Miles Celic (Chief Executive Officer at TheCityUK)
  • Professor Sir Peter Mathieson (Principal and Vice-Chancellor at University of Edinburgh)
  • Sabina Ciofu (International Policy and Strategy Lead at techUK)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Contact us

We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.