Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the European Union (b) other European partners on China and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly to EU Foreign Ministers to discuss our positions on China and the Indo-Pacific. On China, engagement with partners is key to managing sharpening competition while improving our resilience. On the Indo-Pacific, the UK will work with partners to deepen engagement with regional partners, promoting shared prosperity, regional stability, and international rules and norms. The UK shares the view of key partners that Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific economies and security are inextricably linked.

The UK continues to engage with the EU and EU member states on China and the Indo-Pacific through the G7, having worked closely with Germany' through their 2022 Presidency and Japan through their 2023 Presidency.

The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly with the German Foreign Minister, including in January at our inaugural UK-Germany Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue. He also spoke to the French Foreign Minister in November 2022, where he discussed our increased collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. The Foreign Secretary looks forward to the UK-France Summit on 10 March, where he will discuss UK-France collaboration in the region.