During the discussion, which was attended by 50 members, Sebastian spoke with CBBC's Chief Executive, Peter Burnett OBE BBS about his career in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - spanning Germany and China - his love of Shakespeare, theatre, and music, and his hopes for an upcoming Prime Minister’s visit to China.

The discussion began with Sebastian detailing his journey to join the Foreign Office, highlighting the positives of the career when it came to travel and continuous learning. Sebastian mentioned his roles in Washington, Beijing and Berlin and the unique challenges presented by each role. 

Peter mentioned CBBC’s upcoming Chinese Burns Supper which will take place on 19th February in Edinburgh, and highlighted CBBC’s upcoming Shakespeare dinner which is set to take place in London for the first time this year. These events particularly resonated with Sebastian who has a love for Shakespeare and a personal passion for music: describing Shakespeare as “an enormous cultural asset for the UK”. 

Sebastian explained why he has taken on the role of CBBC Chair, sharing that CBBC has acted an important bridge in the UK-China relationship during periods of uncertainty and bilateral conflicts, whilst consistently championing the UK-China business relationship. He stressed that: “The more we can trade and invest with each other…the more we can align our interests”.

He set out his hopes that the UK can “seize the opportunities” in UK-China relations and trade, and “Achieve a significant step forward in UK-China business in at least three dimensions: exports to China, supporting Chinese companies entering the UK, and securing a good share of Chinese outbound FDI”. He expressed his hopes to boost CBBC’s membership and service offerings - with CBBC’s Launchpad service being highlighted as a significant area for growth for the company.  

Turning the talk to geopolitics, Sebastian highlighted how when the geopolitical environment is turbulent, the role of organisations like CBBC become even more important to create a space for dialogue. He stressed that CBBC must keep advocating for the UK-China business relationship to key stakeholders in the UK government, and shared that the outcomes of China’s Fourth Plenum in October 2025 looked promising for UK businesses interested in doing business in China. 

Commenting on a potential Prime Minister visit to China: Sebastian noted the ongoing reset of UK-China relations since the last general election, and expressed that a visit by the UK Prime Minister would help seal a stronger relationship with China. The visit could be used as a valuable platform from which to spotlight significant new commercial deals and partnerships between UK companies and China and create spaces for bilateral collaboration going forwards. 

The event concluded with Q&A from CBBC Members. 

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