Washington’s and London’s “business as usual” approach toward the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has come to a screeching halt, as most transatlantic policymakers have finally realized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has its own economic, security, and technology worldview which conflicts with US and UK national interests and values.

Global flashpoints – from growing Taiwan Strait tensions to documented human rights abuses in Xinjiang – have made the past level of economic interconnectedness between the West and its partners with the PRC unsustainable.

Despite risks emanating from an interdependent trading relationship with the PRC, some in Europe – and even in the UK government – appear to still pine for warm commercial ties with Beijing.

Instead, in the face of this growing threat, Washington and London should aim to strengthen their “special relationship”, counter China’s techno-authoritarian worldview, and pursue policies in the transatlantic partnership’s joint national interests. Left unchallenged by Washington and London, China’s competing world order could lead to fractured economic and security partnerships for the United States and United Kingdom throughout the Indo-Pacific and Europe, with the CCP cementing its global hegemonic ambitions.

The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to gather a panel of experts to launch its latest report and discuss these pressing issues.

Darren G. Spinck is an Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society’s Asia Studies Centre.  He is also managing partner of Washington Consulting Solutions, a US-based public affairs agency, where he focuses on policy analysis, strategic message development, and public advocacy programmes.

Mr. Spinck authored the July 2022 Henry Jackson report, “Securing the Strait: Engaging Taiwan in the UK’s Indo-Pacific Tilt.”  As a Vice President at public affairs firm Hannaford Enterprises, he managed a public affairs project for Taiwan and managed media activities (strategic messaging, media relations, and commentary development) with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Washington, DC, for recognition of the 30th anniversary of the US Congress Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes America’s de facto diplomatic relations with Taipei and guarantees Taiwan’s security through the sales of arms and other assurances.

He is a regular speaker at the Economic Forum in Krynica and Karpacz, Poland and the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies’ Europe-Ukraine Forum in Rzeszow, Poland, focusing his discussions on the risks of China’s growing influence in Central and Eastern Europe and US policy toward Ukraine.  He was an international election observer with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America for Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election.

Mr. Spinck gained a BA in journalism, specializing in public relations, from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and an MA in international commerce and public policy from George Mason University’s Graduate School of Public Policy, Arlington, VA.

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Professor Astrid Nordin holds the Lau Chair of Chinese International Relations in the Lau China Institute, King’s College London.

Her research develops critical conceptual tools that draw on Chinese and other global traditions of thought, and uses these to understand global challenges as they relate to China’s growing global role – from understandings of war, through the Belt and Road Initiative, to practices of censorship and resistance. She has great enthusiasm for working with non-academic stakeholders in the arts, policy, and media, to enable more nuanced and informed understanding of China in and beyond the UK.

Evan Fowler is a China consultant advising U.K. based China-facing organisations, including IPAC, where he provides strategic advice on IPAC’s positioning and messaging, and developing and managing non-parliamentary relationships, including with researchers and think tanks, businesses, and policy and advocacy groups.

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Richard Graham has served Prime Ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak since November 2012 as their Trade Envoy to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the ASEAN EC. He was also Parliamentary Secretary (PPS) to Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth office when William Hague was Foreign Secretary.

Richard has been Chairman of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) , a non-departmental government body.  The WFD focuses on helping strengthen democracy in over 20 countries. Richard was previously a director of the Great Britain China Centre, another non-departmental government body and chairs the All Party Parliamentary China Group.

He is a member of the Joint Committee for National Security Strategy, and elected member of the Board of the Conservative Party and was awarded a CMG in the King’s New Years Honours.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was pleased to launch research fellow Darren Spinck’s new report titled “Stronger Together: How US-UK Collaboration Can Address China’s Growing Geopolitical Ambition”, promoting that Washington and London should aim to strengthen their “special relationship”, countering China’s techno-authoritarian worldview, and pursue policies in the transatlantic partnership’s joint national interests. Richard Graham MP who has served as the Trade Envoy to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the ASEAN EC since 2012, hosted the discussion, and first invited Darren as the author of the report to summarise the findings of his report. Citing global flashpoints such as the ongoing Taiwan Strait crisis and the human rights abuses in China, Darren argued that the US and the UK can no longer maintain their current level of economic interconnectedness with China, and instead should return to their special relationship and finally establish a free trade agreement. Professor Astrid Nordin who holds the Lau Chair of Chinese International Relations in the Lau China Institute at King’s College London, was then invited to convey her thoughts on the report. Professor Nordin’s insight was particularly valuable as it differed from Darren’s recommendations which allowed for constructive dialogue between the panellists. Professor Nordin argued that an increased confrontational dialogue from the UK and the US will only further undermine the hopes for democracy in China and instead efforts should be made to engage with moderates in the CCP. Finally, Evan Fowler a China consultant advising U.K. based China-facing organisations, gave his thoughts on the report. Evan agreed with Darren that a freed trade agreement between the UK and the US should occur but also agreed with Professor Nordin that there should be constructive dialogue with the CCP. After an insightful Q&A between the panellists and the audience in attendance, Richard Graham closed the discussion by thanking the panellists for their knowledge and insight and congratulating Darren on his report.