PMQs: Rishi Sunak accused of lacking clear strategy on China

Rishi Sunak has been accused of having no clear strategy on China, leaving the UK’s future security “handicapped”.

Sir Keir Starmer said the PM failed to heed warnings and was “desperately playing catch up”, during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session.

The Labour leader repeated his call for a “full audit of UK-China relations”.

Mr Sunak said the UK had the “most robust policy” on China it had ever had and was in line with the country’s international allies.

It comes amid ongoing controversy about the arrest, in March, of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of working as a Chinese agent.

The man, who was one of two arrested under the Official Secrets Act, has issued a statement through lawyers saying he is “completely innocent”.

Sir Keir said it was a “serious security concern”, adding that some MPs face sanctions, intimidation and threats from the Chinese state.

He asked the prime minister if Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had raised concerns about the alleged spy when he held talks with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing last month.

Mr Sunak said: “The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Chinese foreign minister who he met, as did I when I had my meeting with premier Li (Qiang) over the weekend.”

Sir Keir replied: “Well, that certainly wasn’t a yes.”

The Labour leader said Mr Sunak’s claims that the UK had a robust policy on China were at odds with a report by Parliament’s intelligence and security committee July this year.

“That (report) set out that the government has no clear strategy when it comes to China,” said Sir Keir.

“This has been raised time and time again. But, yet again, the prime minister fails to heed the warnings and he’s now desperately playing catch up.

“So, will he finally commit to the full audit of UK-China relations which so many in this House have so long demanded?”

Mr Sunak said it was Sir Keir who was “playing catch up” because the committee’s report relates to 2019 and 2020.

“Since then the UK has launched a new integrated review refresh of the China strategy and has put in place “a range of new measures, including… the National Security Protective Agency”, he added.