Downing Street emphasized the importance of maintaining communication with China, while Chancellor Rishi Sunak argued that honest dialogue with Beijing serves the national interests of the UK. This comes amidst the news that a British citizen in his late 20s, who collaborated with influential Conservative MPs and had access to highly sensitive or classified information, has recently been arrested on charges of spying for Beijing. The individual denies these allegations.
Chancellor Sunak stated that diplomacy involves engaging with all parties, and the UK will always recognize this principle. The timing of the spy revelation, which dates back to March, has raised suspicions about its intent to disrupt the perceived thawing of relations between London and Beijing.
Last month, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly became the first high-ranking British politician to officially visit China in five years. Additionally, Rishi Sunak has distanced himself from his predecessor Liz Truss’s commitment to label China as a threat to Britain, instead referring to it as an “epoch-defining challenge.” Furthermore, China is still invited to the UK’s upcoming Artificial Intelligence summit.
Senior Tories question government’s approach
Liz Truss, alongside other prominent Tory backbenchers, criticized the government’s approach following the spying incident. Truss referred to China as “the largest threat, both to the world and to the United Kingdom, for freedom and democracy,” and questioned why the UK government had not designated it as such.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith raised concerns about a potential “espionage cell” in Westminster and demanded to know when the Foreign Office became aware of the latest suspect. Conservative MP Tim Loughton, who has faced sanctions from China, expressed his belief that the government’s approach was ineffective and warned of the country’s threat. He called for a comprehensive review of China’s influence, stating that their reach extends to Parliament, company boardrooms, schools, campuses, and local government throughout the country.
There is also pressure on James Cleverly to clarify whether he addressed the alleged Chinese parliamentary spy case during his recent visit to Beijing. Although specifics were not discussed, Cleverly did caution against interference in UK democratic institutions during the meetings.
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