China should not be described as a ‘foe’ – but is a ‘challenge’, says Kemi Badenoch

Published

2 years ago

September 11, 2023

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China should not be described as a “foe” or a “threat” but it should be regarded as a “challenge”, a cabinet minister has said – following allegations a Chinese spy infiltrated parliament.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the claims were an “extremely serious concern” but we “shouldn’t be using language that makes people scared”.

It comes after two men were arrested under the Official Secrets Act amid reports a parliamentary researcher spied for China.

The researcher, who is in his 20s, is understood to have had links to security minister Tom Tugendhat, foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns and other senior Tory MPs.

The incident has thrown a spotlight on the government’s stance towards China.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sought to adopt a more diplomatic stance towards the country than some of the more hawkish members of his cabinet and party, who want China to be officially classified as a threat.

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Asked whether China should be described as a threat, Ms Badenoch told Sky News: “I would define it as a challenge.

“I define China as a challenge because certainly from my job as business secretary working on international trade in particular, we see at international level just how significant China is, impacting the economies of countries all around the world.

“I was at the G20 two weeks ago – there were significant difficulties between China and Japan. There were difficult conversations between China and India. So I think across the world, China is becoming a very, very significant challenge.”

Pressed on whether China should be described as a “friend or a foe”, she replied: “We certainly should not be describing China as a foe – but we can describe it as a challenge.

“I don’t think we should be careless in terms of how we speak about other countries when these sorts of things happen.”

The business secretary rejected suggestions the government was “putting our safety behind the possibility of trade deals”, saying: “Well first of all, we are certainly not doing any trade deals with China.”

She said the UK’s approach is “the same as our allies in the US, Canada, Australia” and the UK is “not doing anything that’s out of the ordinary”.

“Obviously, Chinese people are different from the Chinese government and it is important to be diplomatic,” she said.

“We shouldn’t be using language that makes people scared. We need to be giving them confidence, and I’m very confident in our security services and in the work that the government is doing on economic security and investment screening.”

Mr Sunak met Chinese premier Li Qiang, who is attending the G20 summit in India in place of President Xi Jinping, on the fringes of the gathering’s final session on Sunday morning, where he said he raised his “very strong concern” about interference with parliamentary democracy which was “obviously unacceptable”.

It was the “right approach” to talk face-to -face with China’s premier, he said.

“Where there are areas of disagreement… I’d rather be in the room directly expressing my concerns, and that’s what I did today.”

The arrests were made in March and first revealed by The Sunday Times. Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating.

Ms Badenoch said it was “significant” the prime minister raised the issue with the Chinese premier this weekend.

“He spoke about his very serious concerns and that’s why it’s important to be able to have the engagement so that you can speak face-to-face and say exactly what it is that we think, in a way that will have an impact,” she added.

The Chinese embassy in London issued a statement yesterday in which it described this incident as “completely fabricated” and “nothing but a malicious slander”. It urged Britain’s lawmakers to “stop anti-China political manipulation”.

Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, claimed security services warned about the dangers of spying “some time ago”.

She pointed to the “damning” report from the security and intelligence committee in July which said the government had “no strategy” to deal with China.

“We think there has to be a comprehensive strategy towards the risks, the challenges, and the threats from other states to our national security,” she said.

Asked if she believed China was a friend or foe, she said: “Well, the relationship is clearly complex.

“There are serious issues around the human rights abuses in China. There are serious issues around their approach and their role across the world. And we also have this trading relationship, as we’ve seen the rise of China. We have to deal with that. But in particular, we have to make sure we protect our own national security. That has to come first.”

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Break Singapore’s new crypto rules and you could face $200K fine or jail

Published

15 hours ago

June 22, 2025

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Break Singapore’s new crypto rules and you could face 0K fine or jail

Singapore is tightening its grip on crypto misconduct. Under new rules, unlicensed promotions or shady practices could lead to steep fines or prison time.

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Lummis’ RISE Act is ‘timely and needed’ but short on details

Published

15 hours ago

June 22, 2025

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Lummis’ RISE Act is ‘timely and needed’ but short on details

Senator Lummis’ RISE Act may be a good start, but does it ask too much of doctors, lawyers and engineers — while shielding AI developers?

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‘Stability in Middle East is priority,’ says Starmer – as world reacts to strikes

Published

17 hours ago

June 22, 2025

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'Stability in Middle East is priority,' says Starmer - as world reacts to strikes

Sir Keir Starmer has said stability in the Middle East is “a priority” following US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as the world reacted to the attack.

The prime minister also called on Iran to “return to the negotiating table” to “reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis”.

The US struck three sites in Iran early on Sunday morning, with Donald Trump boasting the country’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated” in an address to the nation from the White House. He warned there could be further strikes if Iran retaliates.

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In a statement, Sir Keir said: “Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.

“The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”

He said the UK was not involved in the attack but was informed about them in advance.

Sir Keir later told reporters there was a “risk of escalation” and added: “That’s a risk to the region. It’s a risk beyond the region, and that’s why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear programme.”

The prime minister will chair a meeting of the government’s COBRA crisis committee on Sunday afternoon.

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Israel‘s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mr Trump for the strikes, saying: “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.

“History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons.”

UN secretary-general ‘gravely alarmed’ by US attack

But UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed by the use of force” by the US against Iran.

“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged all sides to step back and return to the negotiating table. “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” she said in a post on X.

“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” she said, adding that EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.

How the world reacted to the strikes

World leaders reacted to the strikes with calls for diplomacy and de-escalation, with some fearing they could push the region towards a wider conflict.

Russia’s former president and current deputy chair of its security council, Dmitry Medvedev, said on the Telegram messaging app: “Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war for the US.”

China strongly condemned the attack, with its foreign ministry saying the move seriously violates the UN charter and worsens tensions in the Middle East. It urged the parties involved to cease attacks as soon as possible and begin negotiations.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran to enter immediate talks with the US and Israel to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, a government spokesperson said.

France urged all sides to show restraint, with its foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot saying Paris is “convinced that a lasting resolution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty”.

Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said after the attack that his country’s government hopes “a de-escalation can begin and Iran can sit down at the negotiating table”.

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X: “We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences.”

Venezuela’s foreign minister Yvan Gil said his country’s government “condemns US military aggression” and “demands an immediate cessation of hostilities”.

NATO member Turkey said the strikes raised the risk of a regional conflict spreading globally, with the foreign ministry saying the spread of the conflict into a wider global war must not be allowed.

The Iraqi government condemned the strikes, saying they create a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia expressed “deep concern” but stopped short of condemning the attack.

Both Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen – part of Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance – condemned the strikes, with the Houthis vowing to support Iran in its fight against “the Zionist and American aggression”.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his country needs to stay away from any possible regional spillover from the conflict.

Qatar said it “regrets” the escalating tensions and its foreign ministry urged all parties to show restraint and “avoid escalation, which the peoples of the region, burdened by conflicts and their tragic humanitarian repercussions, cannot tolerate”.

The United Arab Emirates called for an immediate halt to the escalation to “avoid serious repercussions” in the region, with its foreign ministry warning they could lead the region to “new levels of instability”.

Oman condemned the strikes, with a spokesperson for its foreign ministry warning they threaten “to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law and the United Nations charter”.

Maryam Rajavi, the head of Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran, said from Paris: “Now [Supreme Leader] Khamenei must go. The Iranian people welcome the end of the war and seek peace and freedom.

“Khamenei is responsible for an unpatriotic project that, in addition to costing countless lives, has cost the Iranian people at least $2trn (£1.5trn) – and now, it has all gone up in smoke.”