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Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss are fighting in an
increasingly divisive Conservative Party leadership contest to
replace Boris Johnson after a revolt against his scandal-ridden
administration forced him to say he would stand down.
Truss is ahead in polls among members of the Conservative Party
who will choose their new leader and Britain's next prime
minister, but Sunak is hoping that weeks of hustings and debates
will help his campaign ahead of a vote result due on Sept. 5.
"China is the biggest-long term threat to Britain and the
world's economic and national security," Sunak said in a
statement.
"For too long, politicians in Britain and across the Westhave
rolled out the red carpet and turned a blind eye to China’s
nefarious activity and ambitions. I will change this on Day 1 as
PM."
He said he would ban Confucius Institutes, which are funded by
the Chinese government, in Britain, and use spy agencies to help
British businesses counter Chinese spying. He said he would also
examine the case for banning Chinese acquisitions of key British
assets, including strategically sensitive tech firms.
A spokesperson for Truss's campaign said the foreign secretary
had "strengthened Britain's position on China" and "helped lead
the international response to increases Chinese aggression".
"This will only continue when she becomes prime minister and
seeks to expand her network of liberty around the world," the
spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
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