Britain’s former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, one of two candidates left in the race to succeed Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Sunday lashed out at China, which he described as “the biggest long-term threat” to the UK. .
Accusing China of “stealing our technologies and infiltrating our universities”, Rishi Sunak appeared to be overstating the issue as his rival in the Downing Street race, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss, had already hardened her tone against Beijing .
The campaign by the two finalists to succeed Mr Johnson, who was forced to resign after a long series of scandals, has recently looked like an auction of promises on issues that concern the Tory right, such as immigration.
Rishi Sunak promises, if elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, to close the 30 Confucius Institutes located in the UK.
Funded by the Chinese state, these institutions aim to promote China’s language and culture, but have been accused by some conservative lawmakers of serving the purposes of Beijing’s propaganda and espionage apparatus.
In a statement, Mr Sunak argued that China is “supporting (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s fascist invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil and trying to bully its neighbours, including Taiwan”.
“They load developing countries with insurmountable debts and use them to grab their resources or hold a diplomatic gun to their heads,” he says. “They are torturing, imprisoning and brainwashing their own people, especially in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, in violation of human rights.”
“I will prevent China from gaining control of our universities and give businesses and British public relations the cyber security they need,” he continues.
Among Mr. Sunak’s promises is the formation of an international alliance, modeled after NATO, for “defense” against what he calls China’s technological attacks, the strengthening of MI5 support (s.s.: Military Intelligence section 5, British counter-espionage) in businesses and universities to “counter Chinese industrial espionage” and even blocking exports of key sectors by Chinese companies.
The postal vote, in which an estimated 200,000 Conservative party members are eligible, starts on August 5 and ends on September 2, before the result is announced on September 5.
The polls give Liz Truss a big lead.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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