CHINA
- some of these big critical issues, particularly around science and technology and emerging technology, looking much further out and then build back from that, so, okay, what do you need to do in [a] Spending Review for a one year or three year period, rather than just sort of lurching from a one year to a one year to a one year". The DNSA noted that HMG had started to consider options and was trying to understand how to bring an effort together, across departments, and decide who should be in charge of it. When we asked how that work would be taken forward, she told us that HMG was "making sure that we bring all the right people around the table, whether it's the scientific community that support all of our departments to the policy people who support all departments. So we're having a cross-government discussion around all that". Nevertheless, it was clear that in her words: "We've got a lot more to do".[1]
N. China is an economic power, and this cannot be ignored in formulating the UK's policy towards China. Balancing the tension between security and prosperity requires dexterity, and we understand that there are a number of difficult trade-offs involved.
O. The length of this Inquiry has allowed us to see the development of the China policy within Government and we are reassured that, belatedly, the security aspects are now being given prominence—notably more so after the pandemic.
P. It is nevertheless concerning that the security community, and the Government in general, were aware of many of these issues several years ago and yet we are only now beginning to see the introduction of measures taken to protect UK sovereign interests. The lack of action to protect our assets from a known threat was a serious failure, and one from which the UK may feel the consequences for years to come.
Q. Even now, HMG is focusing on short-term or acute threats, and failing to think long term—unlike China—and China has historically been able to take advantage of this. The Government must adopt a longer-term planning cycle in regard to the future security of the UK if it is to face Chinese ambitions, which are not reset every political cycle. This will mean adopting policies that may well take years to stand up and require multi-year spending commitments—something that may well require Opposition support—but the danger posed by doing too little, too late, in this area is too significant to fall prey to party politics.
R. Tackling the threats posed by China requires the UK to have a clear strategy on China, which is forward thinking, joined up and utilises a 'whole-of-government' approach. Work to develop such a strategy may now be in train, but there is still a long way to go.
- ↑ Oral evidence—HMG, *** July 2019.
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