New China role for John Prescott

The Rt Hon John Prescott MP, who as Deputy Prime Minister played a major role in the forging of closer relations between the UK and China, is to become the new Honorary Patron of the China Policy Institute at The University of Nottingham. Mr Prescott will be officially inaugurated into his new role when he visits Nottingham on Tuesday March 30 to talk on China and Climate Change as part of the University's Energy and Climate Change Special Lecture Series. Richard Pascoe, Director of the China Policy Institute in the University's School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, said: "We are delighted that John has agreed to become our new Honorary Patron. "The institute's goal is to help build a more informed dialogue between China and the rest of the world, which mirrors John's own long-standing commitment to fostering mutual understanding between our two nations." John Prescott co-chaired the UK-China Task Force, together with Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan — created in November 2003 by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister Tony Blair to deepen relations and further cooperation between China the UK — until he stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister in June 2007. Since then he has continued to take an active interest in China and China-UK relations and visits China several times a year. As Leader of the British Delegation to the Council of Europe, he has played an important role in climate change policies and the post-Kyoto agenda. He was appointed as the Council of Europe's rapporteur on climate change in advance of the Copenhagen summit on climate change in December 2009, and in January 2010 was named vice-president of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.