Starmer accused of dropping plan for crackdown on China spies at PMQs

Keir Starmer faced demands to be tougher on China today as he clashed with Rishi Sunak at PMQs.

The premier was accused by the Tory leader of dropping plans for a register of individuals and bodies 'influenced' by foreign states.

He was also urged to ensure Foreign Secretary David Lammy raises issues such as hostility towards Taiwan when he visits Beijing in the coming days. 

During the regular set-piece in the Commons, Mr Sunak said: 'This week, China has carried out unwarranted, aggressive and intimidatory military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. Our allies are rightly concerned after worrying reports that the Government may have intervened to stop a visit to the UK by the former Taiwanese president.

'Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Foreign Secretary will use his meetings in Beijing this week to condemn China's dangerous escalatory acts in the strait?

Sir Keir replied: 'The continued military activity in the Strait is not conducive to peace and stability. Stability in the Taiwan Strait is in all of our interests.

'On the wider point that he raises, we will co-operate where we can as permanent members of the UN Security Council, issues like net zero, health and trade, compete where we have different interests, but challenge, the point he makes is absolutely right, where it's needed to protect national security, human rights and our values, and we will put that challenge in.'

Sir Keir committed to sanctioning 'any Chinese business or individual involved in aiding Russia's invasion of Ukraine', and also confirmed that the government will continue to press the case of democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai. 

Mr Sunak demanded to know why the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), designed to combat clandestine political activity by foreign agents in the UK, has yet to be implemented and why the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act has been put on hold.

But Sir Keir said it 'isn't correct' to say the implementation had been halted, insisting the Government supports the security and intelligence services in 'everything that we do and he knows that'.

Firs would require individuals to disclose who they are in an arrangement with, what activity they have been directed to undertake, and when the arrangement was made.

An update made to a Home Office factsheet in August said it was 'no longer expected that the scheme's requirements will come into force in 2024'.