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WHAT IS CHINA SEEKING IN THE UK?

39. As noted previously, China's broad aims in relation to the UK are to mute criticism and build support for China as a partner, and to gain economically. More specifically, China’s aims are:
    • to encourage a divergence between US and UK policy goals on China;
    • to shape the public narrative to mute criticism of the CCP and its actions (particularly in relation to Hong Kong, human rights, the South China Sea, Tibet, press freedom, Xinjiang etc.);
    • to dissuade the UK from challenging any of China’s territorial claims;
    • to encourage the UK to endorse China as a reliable partner (and thereby boost its reputation on the global stage); and
    • to ensure China can benefit economically from the UK (in particular by seeking UK endorsement of Chinese national champions and through the purchase of UK technology companies).^[1]
40. In order to achieve these aims, China is seeking both political influence and economic advantage in relation to "UK government departments, politicians, our academic institutions, non-government organisations, private companies with access to sensitive data and areas of emerging technology (e.g. artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, biotech)".^[2] This chapter provides an overview of the political influence and economic advantage that China is seeking: these are also expanded on in later chapters and Part Two of the Report.

 

Political influence

41. China is trying to create a world in which it is "going to be increasingly hard to … swim against the tide of what China wants to happen in … global, economic, political [and] military settings".^[3]To this end, China seeks to influence elites and decision-makers in different walks of life.^[4] HMG explained:

    Distinct from China’s legitimate lobbying and diplomacy efforts, China seeks to manipulate the perceptions of China and Chinese policy in line with [its] aims … We judge that China uses overt and covert methods in parallel in order to achieve its aims. Under President Xi, who is championing China's emergence as a global power, the appetite for using these methods is likely growing.^[5]

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1. Oral evidence—HMG, *** October 2020; Written evidence—HMG, April 2019; Written evidence—JIO, 5 November 2020.
2. Written evidence—HMG, 18 April 2019.
3. Oral evidence—MI5, *** July 2019. We also note that President Xi Jinping's speech to the CCP summit in October 2022 claimed: "China's international influence, appeal and power to shape the world has significantly increased."
4. Oral evidence—JIO, *** July 2019.
5. Written evidence—HMG, 18 April 2019.