After the 2010 election and the formation of the subsequent Coalition Government, Clifton-Brown returned to the back benches, also making overseas visits in his role as Chairman of the Conservative Party's International Office. At this time he became the Parliamentary Chairman of the Conservative Friends of the Chinese. In 2014, he received critical attention in the media following a visit to China paid for by the Chinese authorities. In a 2015 interview with CNN, Clifton-Brown stated that his family has been doing business in China since the 1920s. Clifton-Brown has remained engaged in dialogue with Chinese authorities.