October 26, 2022 (AFI Report): The Asia Freedom Institute welcomes the historic occasion of Rishi Sunak becoming the UK’s first prime minister of color and the first Hindu prime minister. AFI, while wishing the Prime Minister well and much success, also takes this opportunity to remind the world of his position and statements on China.
Then MP Rishi Sunak in his campaign to become the next UK PM came down hard on China. Here are some of his statements (exact quotes) which were widely reported in the UK and global press and is also available on his LinkedIn account:
“China and the Chinese Communist Party represent the largest threat to Britain and the world’s security and prosperity this century… I will build a new international alliance of free nations to tackle Chinese cyber-threats and share best practice in technology security,”
“ China and the Chinese Communist Party represent the largest threat to Britain and the world’s security and prosperity this century.
I will face down China.
I would close all 30 of China’s Confucius Institutes in the UK – the highest number in the world. Almost all UK government spending on Mandarin language teaching at school is channelled through university-based Confucius Institutes, thereby promoting Chinese soft power.
I will build a new international alliance of free nations to tackle Chinese cyber-threats and share best practice in technology security.
I will expand MI5’s reach to provide greater support to British businesses and universities to counter Chinese industrial espionage. We’ll work across government and with security services to build a toolkit to help companies protect their intellectual property.
I will protect key British assets. That means examining the need to prevent Chinese acquisitions of key British assets including strategically sensitive tech firms.”
