UK Defence and the Far East inquiry

What the inquiry looked at

“The Defence Committee is conducting an inquiry into the security situation in the Far East and the potential role that UK Defence can play in the region. Context The Far East has become an area of growing concern for UK Governments and allies, including the USA, in recent years, prompted by China’s programme of military modernisation and her activities in the South and East China Seas. Over the past decade, China has pursued a number of territorial claims, including through the rapid and large-scale reclamation of territory in the South China Sea, overseeing a substantial military build-up in the region, pursuits of territorial claims that have defied international law and have prompted protests from neighbouring states. In the East China Sea, China has also been embroiled in disputes with Japan over their rival territorial claims to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and their respective maritime boundaries. As a result, tensions have steadily risen in the South and East China Seas, prompting rival regional actors, most notably Japan, to develop their military capabilities and conduct military exercises in the region.”

The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.

How the inquiry ran

Evidence

Oral evidence sessions 1