Description
The Challenge of China.
Lord Mark Sedwill, Andrew Seaton & Dr Paul G. Clifford
TLC has a flourishing geopolitical forum and over the last year of so we have considered the war in Ukraine, current American politics and back in August 2021 we also considered ‘The US China relationship – interesting times ahead!’
So much has happened since then so it was right and proper that we return to the topic of China particularly with President Xi Jinping reinforcing his position with being elected President for (at least) a further 5 year term.
There is therefore much to consider and we have a hugely well informed panel to give us their insight, thoughts and views on the subject.
Mark Sedwill Baron Sedwill of Sherborne GCMG FRGS LLD
Mark Sedwill is Chairman of the Atlantic Future Forum and a cross-bench member of the House of Lords. He recently chaired a G7 Panel on Global Economic Resilience. He is a non-executive director of Rothschild & Co, Lloyd’s of London, and BAE Systems.
Mark was Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service (2018-20), National Security Adviser (2017-20), Permanent Secretary at the Home Office (2013-17), and British Ambassador and NATO Representative in Afghanistan (2009-11). Before that he had a diplomatic and security career serving in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, and Pakistan.
Educated at St Andrews and Oxford Universities, he is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Institute of Directors, an Honorary Fellow of Oxford University and of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and a Distinguished Fellow of RUSI.
He is President of the Special Forces Club, a member of the IISS Advisory Council, a Trustee of the RNLI, an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines and an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple.
He is also the recipient of several awards and honours for national and international public service.
Andrew Seaton,
Chief Executive China-Britain Business Council
Andrew has been Chief Executive of the China Britain Business Council since 2021. The Council is the UK national business network advising and supporting companies doing business in and with China. From 2015 to 2020 he was the Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Prior to that he was a member of the UK Diplomatic Service, spending most of his career working on UK relations with, and policy towards, China. This included postings in Beijing and Hong Kong, and as Head of the FCO’s China Department. He was HM Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao 2008 – 2012. Other overseas postings included the USA and Senegal.
He was educated at the University of Leeds; and at Beijing University as a UK/China Exchange Scholar
Dr Paul G. Clifford
Paul is Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of The China Paradox. At the Front Line of Economic Transformation. He is also President of the management consultants Paul G. Clifford & Associates, LLC.
He worked in China as a corporate banker, as a strategy consultant, and with a global high technology firm where he drove strategy on smart and connected cities. He has advised both Chinese state-owned and private enterprises as well as multinational firms in China across a wide range of sectors. He has been a member of Chinese government advisory group.
He is an Honorary Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association. He has taught at universities in Mexico, the UK and the US.
He was educated at the University of London, where he received a Ph.D, and at Peking University. He is fluent in Chinese, classical and modern.
