Foreign secretary Liz Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak continue to spar about their attitudes toward foreign policy as they battle for leadership of the Conservative party.
Ahead of this evenings’ BBC leadership debate, Sunak has described China as “the biggest-long term threat to Britain and the world’s economic and national security”
He has also vowed to ban controversial Confucius Institutes from the UK.
Confucius Institutes are educational organisations, often funded near or on university campuses, promoted by the Chinese government. While they officially claim to promote linguistic and cultural exchange, they have faced extensive allegations of promoting Chinese state propaganda and supressing academic freedom.
A 2017 report claimed that the Institute’s contracts mandate that all its activities and personnel “adhere to Chinese law.”
The Sunak campaign have highlighted that almost one-third of the UK’s portion of these Institutes opened while Truss was at the department for education.
Education secretary James Cleverly, a supporter of Truss’ leadership bid, has complained that Sunak’s plans are “nothing new”, telling Times Radio this morning that “we have, already been looking at the influence that China has in our education system.”
“This is not new. It might be new to the people on Rishi’s campaign team but it is not new to anyone that has worked in education or the Foreign Office.”
“This is not new. It might be new to the people on Rishi’s campaign team but it is not new to anyone that has worked in education or the Foreign Office.”
However he did not say whether he would pursue such policies, stating: “I am in a position as Education Secretary where it would be unwise for me to make significant policy announcements in response to the positions that have been put out through leadership campaigns.”
Sunak has also suggested forming a NATO-style global grouping to counter China’s growing international influence.
He also pledged to fortify UK business’ protection against Chinese espionage and to re-examine barring Chinese involvement in key UK industries
More to follow
The post Truss and Sunak spar over China strategy appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Ahead of this evenings’ BBC leadership debate, Sunak has described China as “the biggest-long term threat to Britain and the world’s economic and national security”
He has also vowed to ban controversial Confucius Institutes from the UK.
Confucius Institutes are educational organisations, often funded near or on university campuses, promoted by the Chinese government. While they officially claim to promote linguistic and cultural exchange, they have faced extensive allegations of promoting Chinese state propaganda and supressing academic freedom.
A 2017 report claimed that the Institute’s contracts mandate that all its activities and personnel “adhere to Chinese law.”
The Sunak campaign have highlighted that almost one-third of the UK’s portion of these Institutes opened while Truss was at the department for education.
Education secretary James Cleverly, a supporter of Truss’ leadership bid, has complained that Sunak’s plans are “nothing new”, telling Times Radio this morning that “we have, already been looking at the influence that China has in our education system.”
“This is not new. It might be new to the people on Rishi’s campaign team but it is not new to anyone that has worked in education or the Foreign Office.”
“This is not new. It might be new to the people on Rishi’s campaign team but it is not new to anyone that has worked in education or the Foreign Office.”
However he did not say whether he would pursue such policies, stating: “I am in a position as Education Secretary where it would be unwise for me to make significant policy announcements in response to the positions that have been put out through leadership campaigns.”
Sunak has also suggested forming a NATO-style global grouping to counter China’s growing international influence.
He also pledged to fortify UK business’ protection against Chinese espionage and to re-examine barring Chinese involvement in key UK industries
More to follow
The post Truss and Sunak spar over China strategy appeared first on Politics.co.uk.