Damning report finds UK's efforts to stop China threat 'completely inadequate'
Britain's spy watchdog has warned in a damning report the Government's efforts to tackle the threat posed by China have been "completely inadequate" and is now playing "catch-up".
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which oversees the work of spy agencies including MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, said the UK had "consistently failed to think long-term".
Detailing serious failings in the Government's approach, the report raises concerns over universities and China's intention to become a "permanent" player in the UK's nuclear industry.
Published today, the report highlights the Chinese spying apparatus is one of the world's largest - "dwarfing" the UK's agencies - and targets interests "proflicially and aggressively".
MPs on the Committee also warn that without "swift and decisive action" on the threat posed by China in industry and technology the country is on course for a "nightmare scenario".
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This could include China stealing blueprints, building products, and setting standards while "exerting political and economic influence at every step".
MPs warns of a 'completely inadequate' response from the Government to the threats posed by President Xi Jinping's China (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)"This presents a serious commercial challenge, but also has the potential to pose an existential threat to liberal democratic systems", they add.
The report reveals the Director General of MI5 told MPs on the Committee that the rise of China presents the "central intelligence challenges for us across the next decade".
The 200-page report is scathing in its assessment of the UK's approach to Beijing, with experts telling MPs the Government has "no strategy on China, let alone an effective one".
They said resources aimed at tackling the threat posed by China have been "completely inadequate" with "no evidence" Whitehall has the "necessary resources" or expertise.
The Committee added: "The UK is now playing catch-up and the whole Government has its work cut out to understand and counter the threat from China".
Charles Parton of the Royal United Services Institute, told the ISC: "There is no unified voice within Government about what our China strategy is... not only do you need a strategy but you actually need people to know what your strategy is - and none of that applies".
The ISC first launched its probe in 2019 and its brutal conclusions are likely to pile pressure on Rishi Sunak who is already being urged by Tory MPs to take a more hardline stance on China.
Therese Villiers, a Tory MP on the ISC, said while the Government takes the issue "seriously" the report should be a "wake up call" and devote more resources.
The report also concludes the Government has shown "very little interest" in the warnings from the academic sector over Beijing's growing influence.
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It states: "The UK's academic institutions provide a rich feeding ground for China to achieve political influence in the UK and economic advantage over the UK.
"In order to control the narrative of the debate, China exerts influence over institutions by leveraging fees and funding, over individual UK academics through inducements and intimidation, over Chinese students by monitoring and controlling, and over think-tanks through coercion."
Responding to the report, the Prime Minister said in a statement: "The committee's inquiry began in 2019 and took the bulk of its evidence in 2020, pre-dating both the Integrated Review 2021 and the Integrated Review Refresh 2023."
But Chairman of the Committee, Sir Julian Lewis, said on Thursday: "I've been at pains to point out that we have to have a cut-off point when it comes to taking evidence.
"That does not mean to say that we are not continually in dialogue and receiving quarterly reports, for example, from all the intelligence agencies that cover all these matters."
Fellow committee member Kevan Jones called it a "weak" response from the Prime Minister.
"If that is the response from the Government, that somehow the report's out of date, I would come up with better arguments than that," he said.
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