Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

China: Countering Threats

Monday 18 July 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministry of Defence and whole of Government are taking steps to counter state threats from China in line with NATO strategic concept.
  • The Minister stated they would write to Martyn Day regarding the number of Mandarin speakers in the Ministry of Defence.
  • Alec Shelbrooke was agreed with by the Minister on the importance of including cyber and space as key frontiers in NATO's strategic approach.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Martyn Day SNP
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

In the context of the NATO Strategic Concept and a joint address from MI5 and FBI heads, concerns about state threats originating in China are raised.

Question

What steps his Department plans to take to counter threats originating in China in the context of the 79-022 NATO Strategic Concept and joint address from the heads of MI5 and the FBI. The director general of MI5 has said: “The most game-changing challenge we face comes from the Chinese Communist Party.”

Answer from James Heappey

The Ministry of Defence and the whole of Government are taking active steps to counter state threats from China. In line with the NATO strategic concept, we are working with allies to increase our shared understanding and to protect against China's coercive tactics. Together with other Departments, we have strengthened investment screening, the academic technology approval scheme and our export control regimes.

Answered
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Q2 Martyn Day SNP
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

Concerns have been raised about the number of Mandarin speakers available to understand and counter threats from China.

Question

The director general of MI5 has said: “The most game-changing challenge we face comes from the Chinese Communist Party.” At the last count, the UK Foreign Office had some 63 Mandarin speakers. Can the Minister tell us how many the Ministry of Defence has?

Answer from James Heappey

No. I will have to write to the hon. Gentleman.

Not addressed: The number of Mandarin speakers in the Ministry of Defence

How: I Will Have To Write To The Hon. Gentleman

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Q3 Alec Shelbrooke Con Wetherby and Easingwold
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

Concerns about emerging threats from China have prompted a reevaluation of NATO's priorities, including the importance of defending in cyber and space.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that the emerging threats from China show NATO was right to make cyber and space among the key frontiers, along with the traditional three, and that, when looking at defence procurement and how money is spent, we are world leading in these vital areas of defence?

Answer from James Heappey

I absolutely agree with my right hon. Friend, but we should not think that our competition with China is exclusively concentrated on the high-end warfighting capabilities that may or may not be required in the first and second island chains. Every single week, we compete with China for influence around the world. Maintaining the defence effort across the global south to protect our interests around the Commonwealth is every bit as important as preparing to stand alongside the US in anything that might happen in the Pacific.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The focus on high-end warfighting capabilities and competition with China for influence worldwide, rather than specific procurement measures.

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