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[Christina Rees in the Chair]

15 May 2024

Lead MP

Bob Seely
Isle of Wight
Con

Responding Minister

Andrew Mitchell

Tags

EconomyClimateBrexitForeign AffairsScience & Technology
Word Count: 13464
Other Contributors: 7

At a Glance

Bob Seely raised concerns about [christina rees in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

Seely urges the Government to develop a coherent strategy against China's authoritarianism, including diversifying supply chains, mandating DNA testing for cotton from Xinjiang, treating China as a developed economy at the WTO, and increasing military spending. He also calls on the Government to address issues like Confucius Institutes spying and the large-scale illicit supply of fentanyl.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Isle of Wight
Opened the debate
Bob Seely is concerned about the Chinese Communist Party's aggressive policies and their impact on global security, including cyber threats, trade dumping, intellectual property theft, and espionage. He highlights specific incidents such as GCHQ warnings about China's cyber threat, arrests of spies in the UK, and Huawei's dominance in 5G technology. Seely also mentions the CCP's view of democracy and freedom as false ideological trends, which poses a challenge to western values. Additionally, he expresses worry over DNA biotech research and cellular modules controlled by Chinese companies, potentially compromising national security.

Government Response

Andrew Mitchell
Government Response
It is a pleasure to appear under your skilled chairship this afternoon, Ms Rees. I am very grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Bob Seely) for securing this debate, and I pay tribute to his advocacy for the people of Hong Kong through the all-party group. He is an expert in the area that we are addressing this afternoon, and I particularly wanted to listen to him and respond to this debate on behalf of the Government. My hon. Friend asked a number of questions but started by making it clear that the relationship with China is far more complex than the relationship with Russia. In anything one does with international development, one sees how very true that is. He also spoke about dumping, as indeed did the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Justin Madders). Having left the European Union, the UK has numerous trade remedy measures in place to protect against practices that have an adverse effect on the UK's prosperity and security. We will always respond vigorously to unfair trading practices wherever they occur by working with the Trade Remedies Authority to protect the UK's interests. My hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight asked me about genomic research, and if he will allow me, I would like to think about that and write to him in response to his question. He also raised the issue of fentanyl. We recognise the importance of the fentanyl issue to the United States, and we welcome the US-China dialogue on that. The hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston warned of the need for vigilance, and he made a number of extremely important comments in that respect. He also, in response to an intervention by the hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Neil Coyle), underlined the difference between the CCP and the Chinese people. The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) spoke up, as he always does, for the importance of human rights, and he urged that we should not allow economic interests to override our moral obligations. He spoke about freedom of religious belief. I will come on to that, but we are very grateful for what he said. The hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Brendan O'Hara) discussed a number of different aspects of the wide issues we are discussing. As I hope to show, his suggestion that we are merely paying lip service to these vital issues is simply not correct. China is a major global actor with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. It has an impact on almost every global issue of importance to the UK, and therefore no significant global problem can be solved without China. We must engage with Beijing on issues affecting us all. The Government recognise the epoch-defining challenge presented by China under the CCP, and our response and approach are based on three key pillars: protecting national security through measures such as the National Security and Investment Act 2021 and enhanced export controls; deepening co-operation with allies and partners to call out human rights violations; and engaging with China where it is in our interest, on global challenges like climate change and artificial intelligence. The UK continues to lead international efforts to address China's human rights record, including sanctions against Chinese actors responsible for cyber-attacks. We have also taken swift action regarding Hong Kong, suspending our extradition treaty indefinitely and extending the arms embargo applied to mainland China since 1989 to include Hong Kong. We introduced a British National (Overseas) immigration path granting over 191,000 visas to date. During her recent visit to mainland China and Hong Kong, the Minister for the Indo-Pacific met Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li in Beijing and Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui in Hong Kong, making clear the Government's deep concerns about the situation in Hong Kong. We consistently raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities at the highest level, including Xinjiang, and encourage China to use its influence to avert further escalation in the Middle East.
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.