Phil Entwistle

Some news: This week I begin my new role as Committee Specialist on the House of Commons International Affairs Unit. I’ll be supporting the work of select committees by providing research and analysis on the UK’s international policies.

Over the next week, Chinese legislators are expected to approve the country’s economic plan for the next five years. We're launching a major new inquiry into China and the UK economy.

The UK is not prepared for severe disruption to our undersea internet cables, which carry 99% of our data. Russia is testing NATO’s weaknesses. We must be ready for a future crisis: - Tougher deterrence - Resilience upgrades - Sovereign repair ship Read our report 👇

How can the Government best protect the UK against grey zone threats? We have published a report. Read our recommendations ⬇️ publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmse…

🇬🇧🇨🇳 UK Foreign Secretary statement on China Audit now up online. @FCDOGovUK gov.uk/government/spe…

@DrWinnieKing gov.uk/government/pub…

@82hou What?

UK Government's China Audit due to form part of the National Security Strategy released today. Unlikely we're going to see a separate document.... gov.uk/government/new…

China Audit gets three paragraphs on p.39 of National Security Strategy... gov.uk/government/pub…

@DrWinnieKing Now!

@82hou When will the National Security Strategy be released then?

We have launched an inquiry into the @FCDOGovUK’s China Audit. In 2024 the FCDO launched the China Audit to understand the challenges and opportunities posed by China. This inquiry will monitor the progress of the Audit. Find out more👇

❓ In its scrutiny of govt policy, Parliament should explore: how to make best use of UK convening power to foster international co-operation; how it should defend the integrity of its democratic system; and, given ltd ODA & diplomatic resources, which partnerships to prioritise.

🤝 The UK’s strong convening power, its permanent membership of the UNSC and Commonwealth, and its close historical ties with the USA may therefore prove valuable.

New short paper by myself & @HouseofCommons colleagues @OsintObserv @jleadermaynard and Lucy Arora on geopolitical competition in the international system, its impact on the UK, and the key questions for Parliament.🧵 post.parliament.uk/geopolitical-c…

This looks super interesting....

In a joint letter with @CommonsIDC and @CommonsCMS, we are urging the Government to guarantee funding to the BBC World Service. Read the letter👇

Important new inquiry launched by @JointCtteNSS.

A few observations after a couple of weeks in China... 🧵

It’s rare to get such an overlap between China / geopolitics / cat content, but it’s 2025 and here we are. eastisread.com/p/i-am-your-ch…