Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer raised the issue of transnational repression with the government of China during her recent trip to Beijing; and if so, how the government of China responded.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.

The Chancellor raised a range of UK concerns in meetings with the Chinese government counterparts, including human rights and the restrictions on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong and the case of Jimmy Lai. The Chancellor also published a written ministerial statement about her visit to China on the morning of Monday 13 January and delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday 14 January.

The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe and it is committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take very seriously the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent work has been undertaken by the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle transnational repression.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe, and we are committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK's existing response to transnational repression to ensure it is robust and joined across Government and law enforcement. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

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