Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid email address
SIGN UP
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email
{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
China is trying to “headhunt” top British officials in government, business and the military, Rishi Sunak’s government has warned.
Beijing has attempted to recruit nationals in key positions with “sensitive knowledge and experience”, the government acknowledged in response to a damning report by MPs.
The Sunak government conceded that “some Chinese action crosses the line from influence to interference”, admitting that more steps are necessary to protect UK interests.
The PM insisted that protecting the UK from interference from Beijing it was an “absolute priority”, after the arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying for the superpower.
Mr Sunak vowed to “call out unacceptable behaviour” – but he again rejected Tory calls from Liz Truss, Sir Iain Duncan Smith and other senior Tories to officially designate China a threat.
Recommended Sunak under pressure over HS2 as he refuses to rule out scrapping northern stage Keir Starmer vows to strike migrants return deal with EU Boris Johnson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak over ‘slow’ response to Ukraine weapons pleas
The government issued its full response to the intelligence and security committee (ISC) report – which condemned the government’s “completely inadequate” response to China and accused ministers of having “no strategy”.
The response said some that some Chinese action “crosses the line from influence to interference”, and admitted that more investment was needed to respond to the “long-term” challenge the country poses.
Mr Sunak said he was “acutely aware” of the “threat to our open and democratic way of life”, and said his government would “take all necessary steps” to protect the UK from interference from Beijing.
He pointed to the National Security Act and the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act as examples of measures to allow law enforcement and intelligence to “deter, detect, and disrupt the full range of modern-day threats, including from China”.
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Sign up
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Sign up
The PM added: “I am clear-eyed about that challenge and will call out unacceptable behaviour directly just as I did last weekend with Premier Li at the G20 summit in New Delhi.”
Rishi Sunak is under pressure to take tougher stance on China
(PA Wire)
The ISC had warned that Beijing was “prolifically and aggressively” targeting the UK and its interests and had been “buying up” control and influence in Britain – condemning successive governments for accepting Chinese money with “few questions asked”.
The damning report raises concerns about China’s “coercive” influence in the UK’s universities and Beijing’s intention to become a “permanent and significant player” in the civil nuclear energy industry.
But the Sunak government said that a ban on Chinese-backed Confucius Institutes would be “disproportionate”. It said moves were under way to remove “any direct or indirect government funding” from these institutions.
On concerns for the energy sector and infrastructure, the government said it had blocked four investment deals linked to China while another four were allowed to proceed under strict conditions. It said future deals would be subject to a “one step at a time” approach.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith has called for China to be deemed ‘threat’
(PA Archive)
Several top Conservative MPs, some sanctioned by Beijing, have called on Mr Sunak to label China a threat to the UK in the wake of the shock arrest of the Commons researcher.
Sir Iain, the former Tory leader, said: “Are they a threat or are they not? If they are a threat, why don’t we call them a threat and take the relative action that is necessary to deal with them on that basis and sanction some people?”
But Dominic Raab and others have warned against any rash moves with China that could jeopardise trade.
The Sunak government insisted that it remained committed to “engagement with China bilaterally” in a bid to preserve “open, constructive, predictable and stable relations”.
On the espionage threat, the response to the ISC stated: “The government recognises that Chinese recruitment schemes have tried to headhunt British and allied nationals in key positions and with sensitive knowledge and experience, including from government, military, industry and wider society.”
It also said the recognises the need for “further investment in capabilities will be needed to ensure the government is equipped with the tools, expertise and knowledge to respond to the systemic challenge that China poses”.
“As the committee notes, there is more work to be done,” the Sunak government added. “We will continue building expertise across the system to better address the long-term challenge that China poses.”
China General Nuclear (CGN) has been removed from Hinkley Point C development
(Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
It comes as the parliamentary researcher who was arrested on suspicion of spying for China met Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart to discuss a crucial piece of legislation, according to Politico.
The man in his 20s – who has insisted that he is innocent – met the minister to discuss proposed amendments to the Procurement Bill, aimed at toughening up Britain’s policy toward China.
But a Whitehall official said no sensitive information was discussed and the meeting lasted less than an hour.
It also emerged this week that the Conservative Party dropped two potential candidates to become MPs after MI5 warned they could be Chinese spies.
Mr Raab has warned the Sunak government against any rash moves with China, days after it was revealed a possible spy for Beijing was discovered in Westminster.
The former deputy PM warned that China’s economic size could see the UK hamstrung if the Asian superpower were to “respond disproportionately” to any action or policy by the UK.
Warning against “foghorn diplomacy”, Mr Raab wrote in The Telegraph that cutting ties is not even “faintly realistic” as more than ￡100bn in trade occurred between China and Britain in 2022 alone.
Recommended Dominic Raab urges Government to tread carefully after ‘Chinese spy’ arrest Tories warned by MI5 that MP candidates could be Chinese spies as ex-security chief says row is ‘wake-up call’
Lord Simon McDonald former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office has also suggested parliament may have overreacted to a possible Chinese spy posing as a researcher.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is a legitimate objective of any embassy in London to find out what is happening in Westminster. Of course we see that China is active but so are friendly countries, and I do not think we can have one rule for US and France and Germany and another for China.”
More about China Rishi Sunak Iain Duncan Smith Liz Truss spying
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 4China ‘headhunting’ top UK officials as spies, says Rishi Sunak
China ‘headhunting’ top UK officials as spies, says Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak is under pressure to take tougher stance on China
PA Wire
China ‘headhunting’ top UK officials as spies, says Rishi Sunak
Sir Iain Duncan Smith has called for China to be deemed ‘threat’
PA Archive
China ‘headhunting’ top UK officials as spies, says Rishi Sunak
China General Nuclear (CGN) has been removed from Hinkley Point C development
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
China ‘headhunting’ top UK officials as spies, says Rishi Sunak
Getty Images
？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in