China a 'sophisticated and persistent threat', says foreign secretary
Russia's war in Ukraine and Israel's conflict with Iran are dominating the headlines this week, but today has also seen the government address threats posed by China.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave a statement in the Commons a short while ago to mark the "China audit", a review into the opportunities and challenges presented by the UK's ties with Beijing, which the Labour administration commissioned last year.
It found Chinese spying, interference, and attempts to undermine the British economy had all increased in recent years.
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Lammy: We can't not engage with China
Lammy told MPs the superpower represented a "sophisticated and persistent threat" - notably starker language than previously, when ministers have described China as a "challenge".
The government will invest 拢600m into intelligence services following the audit, and will look to improve expertise of China in the civil service.
But given its economic heft, Lammy said "not engaging" with Beijing remains "no choice at all". The government still wants a "trade and investment relationship" with Xi Jinping's administration.