UK Should Bond With Countries Not Limited to Liberal Democracies to Counter China, MPs Told

An F-35B lands onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth, England, on Sept. 26, 2018. Kyle Heller/Ministry of Defence via Getty Images

The UK need to work with other countries—not limited to liberal-minded democracies—to maintain a counterbalance to communist China, MPs of the Defence Committee heard on Tuesday.

The committee held an oral evidence session on Tuesday to gather evidence on China’s military ambitions and capabilities. The session will be followed by a wider inquiry later in the year into the Indo-Pacific region, including the role of the UK, committee chair MP Tobias Ellwood said.

PLA Strategic Focus: First and Second Island Chains

Experts told the committee that although the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has expanded its range of operations to be more globally postured, it is still regionally focused when it comes to conventional warfare.