The Prime Minister insisted the UK was “tougher” on China than most of its allies after calling for a tougher stance on Beijing.
During a routine question by the chairman of the select committee, Rishi Sunak was questioned about the government’s reluctance to take action against a number of Chinese companies including ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
He rejected suggestions from Liam Byrne, the Labor MP and chairman of the Commons business and trade committee, that the UK was just “thinking” while other countries acted to protect themselves from China.
Mr Sunak told the Commons Liaison Committee: “I would say our approach to China is certainly stronger than that of most of our allies.”
He noted that European countries have not removed Huawei equipment from their telecoms networks or imposed similar restrictions on the export of sensitive technology to China, and said that the UK’s foreign investment regime was recently implemented and therefore the most stringent.
He added: “I have every confidence that our approach to dealing with the risks posed by China is very consistent with our allies and will in most cases further protect ourselves.”
Byrne, who expressed concern about the influence of Chinese companies such as ByteDance, responded: “Apparently not.”
The prime minister has defended Britain’s China policy after the government accused Beijing of “malicious” cyberattacks on MPs and electoral committees and sanctioned some of those involved.
However, backbench Conservatives criticized the government’s actions, saying it was not doing enough, while others renewed calls for China to be labeled a “threat”.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told Times Radio on Tuesday morning that China was “clearly a security threat”, but Downing Street has been keen to play down the possibility of the government changing its rhetoric on China, which it currently calls “New Era”. -Define the Challenge”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “There is no such designation process under UK law, or even among our G7 or Five Eyes countries.”
Tensions have reportedly surfaced in the cabinet over the issue, with some ministers pushing for tougher action against Beijing and others resisting over concerns it could damage economic and trade relations.
The Chinese embassy’s charge d’affaires also attended the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday after receiving a formal summons to explain China’s actions.
The British Foreign Office said it had “unequivocally condemned” the “malicious cyber activity” of Beijing-affiliated groups and said it “will not tolerate such threatening activities and will continue to take strong action with partners around the world to respond.”
The cyber attack was blamed on the APT31 hacking group, which is believed to be controlled by China’s Ministry of State Security and was part of a coordinated operation with British allies such as the United States and New Zealand.
U.S. authorities announced sanctions against the same British front company and individuals and said they had charged seven individuals with computer misuse and fraud.
New Zealand claims hackers linked to the Chinese government launched a state-sponsored operation against the country’s parliament in 2021, but says it lacks the legal authority to impose sanctions.
The Chinese government firmly denies carrying out, supporting or encouraging cyber attacks on the UK, calling these claims “completely fabricated and malicious slander”.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in London said: “China has always resolutely cracked down on all forms of cyber attacks in accordance with the law.
“China does not encourage, support or condone cyber attacks.
At the same time, we oppose the politicization of cybersecurity issues and the groundless smearing of other countries without factual basis.
We urge relevant parties to stop spreading false information and stop staging anti-China political farces. “
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