Kan Storbritannien ha både pengar och säkerhet i Kinaärenden? | NTD NYHETER
Dec 28, 2024
Pengar och säkerhet, Storbritannien vill ha både och när de handlar med Kina. En svår balansgång för USA:s allierade. Storbritanniens finansminister säger att den nationella säkerheten kommer först, men tillägger att det ligger i Storbritanniens intresse att handla med Kina. Detta följer efter rapporter om påstådda kinesiska spioner i Storbritannien och ett ökat tryck att inta en tuffare hållning gentemot Kina. NTD:s internationella korrespondent Malcolm Hudson har mer om detta från London.
Recent reports of two alleged Chinese spies have put pressure on the British government
to adopt a tougher stance on the Chinese regime, but the government has so far been reluctant to
do so, with British Chancellor Rachel Reeves saying it's in the UK's national interest to
have a pragmatic relationship with China. And so of course to challenge where appropriate
and to ensure that our national security is protected, but like other countries around the
world, we should trade and seek investment when it is in our national interest to do so and that
will be the approach of this government.
At a time when the government is striving to improve relations with Beijing,
Reeves is expected to visit China during the new year for talks.
This happens after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's meeting with China's regime leader Xi Jinping in November.
The renewed focus on the government's China strategy follows on two recently
reported and noticed spy cases, including Yang Tengbo, a Chinese businessman who had
close ties to Prince Andrew and leading politicians, and who lost his complaint of a
travel ban to Great Britain due to national security reasons, and lawyer Christine Lee,
who British security services warned had engaged in political involvement and activity
for a branch of the Chinese Communist Party. Both Yang Tengbo and Christine Lee
are believed to have worked with the CCP's United Front Work Department.
Xi Jinping has described the United Front as a magic weapon to bolster Beijing's reach abroad,
smoothing the way for the CCP's interests while also neutralising threats to China's power.
British politician Iain Duncan Smith recently said there were 40,000 members of the United Front
who had penetrated every sector of the UK economy and called on the British government
to put China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Malcolm Hudson, Entity News, London.