Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what account was taken of the recent hack of the Electoral Commission and the alleged hack of the Ministry of Defence by China, and its aggressive military action in the South China Sea, before authorising the attendance of the UK’s Air Vice-Marshall at a recent reception at the Chinese Embassy to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army.

The Government is taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests, by co-operating where we can as fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council. But we will also compete where we have different interests and challenge where we must, to protect our national security and values.

The bilateral defence relationship with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) plays an important role in this, including recent senior military attendance at the PLA Anniversary Reception in London, where UK attendance was agreed in June 2024.