Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Eighth Report - Tilting horizons: the Integrated Review and the Indo-Pacific
Foreign Affairs Committee
HC 172
Published 30 August 2023
Recommendations
8
Accepted
Sustain Indo-Pacific policy initiatives consistently over time and communicate clearly to all partners.
Recommendation
We welcome the acceptance in the Refresh of our recommendation that the Government work away from the word “tilt” to describe its policy towards the Indo-Pacific while continuing to prioritise the region. We also welcome the list of additional actions …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees the Indo-Pacific is a long-term policy and commits to increasing strategic communications resources in the region to ensure sustained communication of its goals and intentions, directly addressing the committee's recommendation.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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19
Accepted
Para 65
Proactively challenge and communicate unacceptability of PRC attacks on Hong Kong dissidents.
Recommendation
The Government must recognise repeated attacks on Hong Kong dissidents as part of wider PRC policy of repression, and proactively challenge this behaviour and communicate the unacceptability of such a policy directly with representatives of the PRC.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that transnational repression on UK soil is unacceptable, affirming its zero-tolerance approach and commitment to protecting individuals. It states that it regularly communicates its expectations directly to concerned countries, including regarding Hong Kong activists.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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22
Accepted
Para 71
Announce a clear zero-tolerance policy for transnational repression and expel offending foreign diplomats.
Recommendation
The Government should have had a policy of zero tolerance of transnational repression. It is unacceptable that this has not been the position up to now. It should now announce a clear policy of zero tolerance of transnational repression and …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the unacceptability of transnational repression, affirms its zero-tolerance approach, and commits to taking all necessary action to protect individuals on UK shores, communicating expectations to foreign powers.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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25
Accepted
Para 87
Create a strategic dependency risk assessment for CNI technologies to mitigate China reliance.
Recommendation
The Government recognises the threat that the Chinese Communist Party could use economic coercion to influence UK decision making by targeting strategically critical sectors. The Government has not taken adequate action to tackle this threat. It must work to identify …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the need to build resilience against China's economic coercion, confirming it is identifying dependencies in critical sectors, taking action to mitigate risks through diversification, and developing the Critical National Infrastructure Resilience Strategy.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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37
Accepted
Para 109
Rectify Government's failure to sanction companies for supply chain human rights abuses.
Recommendation
The Government has as yet failed to sanction any companies for human rights abuses within their supply chains, demonstrating a lack of resolve towards preventing Uyghur forced labour products from flooding the UK. The Government should rectify this.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees it is unacceptable for states to violate human rights unsanctioned, and states the UK already takes robust action against human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including export controls, business guidance, and Magnitsky-style sanctions against Chinese officials and entities.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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38
Accepted
Denounce human rights abuses by autocracies and coordinate UNSC action to end them.
Recommendation
The Government must not be silent on human rights abuses, including state hostage- taking, by autocracies like the PRC and should use its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to denounce such abuses and coordinate action …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to the recommendation and states it remains committed to using its UN Security Council seat to denounce human rights abuses, work with international partners, and make its position on human rights clear, citing a recent joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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44
Accepted
Para 137
Initiate Free Trade Agreement negotiations with ASEAN and strengthen bilateral relationships with member countries.
Recommendation
We recommend that as well as taking full advantage of the UK’s recently acquired status as a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, the UK should begin negotiations for an FTA with ASEAN, and concentrate equally on building bilateral relationships with ASEAN …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees, outlining how it is already leveraging its ASEAN Dialogue Partner status through a new Plan of Action, pursuing FTAs with Indonesia and India, and actively building bilateral relationships with ASEAN members through partnerships in areas like energy transition, maritime security, finance, and technology.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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67
Accepted
Explain government support for efforts to end violence against women and girls in Pacific Islands.
Recommendation
The Government should explain if, and, if so, how it is supporting the Pacific Partnership and other efforts to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the Pacific Islands. (Paragraph 256) 74 Tilting horizons: the Integrated Review and the …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed to explain and confirmed its ongoing support for efforts to end violence against women and girls in the Pacific Islands, detailing existing contributions to UN Women and the UN Trust Fund.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Conclusions (8)
3
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 25
While we support a stronger foreign policy focus on the Indo-Pacific region, it should not be achieved at the expense of regions where we have historic and pressing commitments, in particular the Middle East.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating the Integrated Review Refresh already clearly identifies the Middle East as a geographic priority integral to UK interests, confirming existing policy aligns with the committee's view.
5
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 28
We support the continued prioritisation of the UK’s relationship with Indo-Pacific countries and all efforts to expand trade and investment links with one of the fastest growing regions of the world, which will benefit the economies of the UK and our partners globally.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's support and details specific actions, including signing the CPTPP Accession Protocol, pursuing further FTAs, increasing inward investment, and tackling market access barriers in the Indo-Pacific region.
9
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 40
[In the Refresh the Government states that it will double funding to build China capabilities across government to better understand China and allow the UK to engage confidently where it is in our interests to do so.] This is a welcome development, but no detail has been provided.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation and provides extensive detail on the China Capability Programme, outlining its curriculum, training, international events, and cross-government Mandarin language offer.
40
Conclusion
Accepted
The Government could also seek to pursue programmes such as those suggested above [in the Capacity building chapter] through unifying organisations such as the Commonwealth grouping, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. (Paragraph 125) Freeing up movement
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, explaining that the FCDO already operates a flexible language learning system aiming for 80% of speaker slots to be filled by C1/C2 language speakers, and develops language capability through existing operational and developmental training.
43
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 135
It is vital to pursue links with Southeast Asian countries on both multilateral and bilateral tracks, respecting different value-systems and cultures.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's conclusion on the vital importance of pursuing links with Southeast Asian countries multilaterally and bilaterally, highlighting its established relationship with ASEAN and individual member states.
45
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 138
A proximate objective should be the signing of wide-ranging agreements, like those the UK has with Malaysia and Indonesia, with other ASEAN member countries as appropriate, and where possible upgrading existing strategic partnership agreements to Economic and Financial Dialogues.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of deepening engagement and signing wide-ranging agreements, noting existing strategic partnerships with Malaysia and Indonesia, a Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore, ongoing FTA negotiations with Indonesia, and an upgrade to the FTA with Korea.
59
Conclusion
Accepted
The UK should negotiate with Japan an agreement on expanded cooperation on the teaching of English in Japan and Japanese in the UK. (Paragraph 200) India
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, noting that through the Hiroshima Accord, the UK and Japan have already agreed to re-vitalize people-to-people exchanges, including those focused on Japanese and English languages.
65
Conclusion
Accepted
The UK’s approach to Indonesia should be underpinned by sufficient diplomatic capacity and greater political willingness than it is currently perceived to have. (Paragraph 216) Pacific Islands
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, affirming it has already increased diplomatic capacity in Indonesia, expanded ministerial engagement, and driven progress on the UK-Indonesia Roadmap, including a 30% trade increase and new cooperation agreements.