EVENT: ‘This house believes that the UK’s current strategy on China is damaging our national interest’
A Beijing to Britain event
Hello,
Beijing to Britain is immensely pleased to bring you a debate on the UK’s China policy, the first in what will hopefully be a number over the summer period.
This debate, held under the Chatham House rule and loosely in the Oxford style, will see the panellists arguing for and against the following: ‘This house believes that the UK’s current strategy on China is damaging our national interest.’ The winning team will be the one that receives the most votes from the audience.
Speakers
For the motion:
Sam Hogg, founder of Beijing to Britain
Trey McArver, co-founder of Trivium China
Against the motion:
Isabel Hilton, Founder, The China Dialogue and Chair of the Centre for Investigative Journalism and co-chair of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Tim Clissold, author of Mr. China, an Economist Book of the Year.
Date: Wednesday 24th April
Venue: China Exchange, Chinatown. 32A Gerrard St, London W1D 6JA
Overview
The UK’s foreign policy on China has moved from a ‘Golden Era’ approach to a tougher ‘protect, align and engage’. Tensions have unravelled in the bilateral relationship over the last few years with many British parliamentarians and activists calling for a tougher stance on China, while others push back, all of which Beijing to Britain has documented over a three-year period.
Post Brexit, the UK launched the Integrated Review, which sets out the government’s overarching national security and international policy objectives until 2025, in which China features heavily. A Refresh published two years later added further detail. However with the recent state-backed cybersecurity hacks dominating headlines and continuous rising tensions, Beijing to Britain will hold its first public debate event to openly discuss the complexities of this relationship.
We are delighted to host our inaugural public debate event, kickstarting a summer of activities. We believe public debate is paramount to our democracy and this event will be a unique, entertaining, and informative take on a challenging issue. The evening will loosely follow the Oxford-style format, with the audience deciding the outcome, and is off the record. The winning team will be the one that presents their arguments best: the nature of debate means the arguments do not have to represent the panellist's actual beliefs.
Timings:
18:30 - 19:00 REGISTRATION
19:00 - 19:05 PRELIMINARY VOTE - OPENING REMARKS - INTRODUCTION TO THE SPEAKERS, TOPIC AND DEBATE RULES
19:05 - 19:25 ROUND 1: EACH SPEAKER HAS 3 MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR ARGUMENT
19:25 - 19:40 ROUND 2: REBUTTAL – OPPOSING TEAM DISPUTES OPPOSING THE ARGUMENT
19:40 - 19:55 ROUND 3: QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
19:55 - 20:00 VOTES ARE COUNTED AND THE WINNER DECIDED
20:00 - 20:30 NETWORKING
Format:
The moderator will begin proceedings by explaining the premise of the debate, the rules and by taking an initial vote
Opening Remarks: After the initial vote, the debaters present their opening remarks one at a time (3 mins each). Representatives from each side alternate in sharing their point
Intra-Panel Discussion: Following opening remarks, the debaters engage with one another directly. The discussion is guided by arguments from opening statements and questions from the moderator.
Question-and-Answer Period: During this portion of the debate, audience members have the opportunity to ask the debaters questions regarding the motion.
Closing Remarks: Following the question-and-answer section, the debaters deliver separate 2-minute closing arguments.
A final vote is then taken. The winning team will be the one that produces the largest swing in opinion from the room.
