Such a move would be likely to provoke a backlash from China at a time when the UK government is seeking a more stable relationship.
Last month Sir Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping on the fringes of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro – the first time a UK prime minister has met the Chinese leader in person since 2018.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also due to visit Beijing next year to discuss economic cooperation with her Chinese counterpart.
It comes after a period of strained relations between the two countries, with tensions over issues including China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority group in Xinjiang and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
On Monday, Sir Keir said he was “concerned” about the challenge posed by China but repeated the government’s position that it was necessary to cooperate on issues like trade, climate change and human rights.
As one of the UK’s biggest trading partners, any souring of relations with China could impact the government’s goal of boosting economic growth at home.
Banks including HSBC and Standard Chartered have reportedly raised concerns privately about the potential impact of including China in the enhanced tier.
According to Bloomberg, external, executives fear this could impede business and trigger negative publicity if they are forced to declare activity.
China has strongly denied claims of espionage and accused some MPs of trying to “smear” the country.
But on Tuesday, UK judges issued another ruling on an alleged Chinese agent, Christine Lee, upholding a decision by MI5 to warn she had infiltrated Parliament.
With a decision on whether to designate the China as a threat to national security looming, the ongoing row could further damage the UK’s attempts to repair relations.
Source:
www.bbc.com
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