security minister Dan Jarvis says the British government would not tolerate covert attempts to manipulate its political system or society 
but it’s ok if it’s China…
“Designating Russia and Iran under the enhanced tier is a vital step in protecting the safety and interests of the UK.” no need to worry about China.
China has been left off the top tier of the British government’s new register to track “covert foreign influence” as UK ministers seek to rebuild relations with Beijing in their pursuit of growth.
Britain’s new foreign influence registration scheme (Firs), which comes into effect on July 1, is designed to give the UK public greater assurance around the activities of foreign powers seen as posing a national security risk.
The Russian and Iranian states have been placed in the top tier because of “the serious threats they pose to our interests”.
Under the lower “political tier”, those involved in lobbying on behalf of any foreign power in the UK — including at Westminster — will have to identify themselves. In most cases the entry will be made available on a public register.
The more stringent “enhanced tier” applies to foreign powers considered to pose a risk to the UK’s “safety or interests” and covers a much wider range of activities.
This top tier requires the registration by an individual of any activities within the UK at the direction of a specified power or entity. Specified foreign power-controlled entities will have to register activities in the UK.
The Conservatives had called for China to be added to the enhanced tier of the register, which was set up as part of the National Security Act in 2023. Britain’s relationship with Beijing has recently been the subject of an official “audit” by the Labour government.
The government said in that audit last week that “instances of China’s espionage, interference in our democracy and the undermining of our economic security have increased in recent years”.
Britain’s security services took part in a review into China’s growing role in the UK’s energy system amid concerns over Beijing’s influence in strategic national infrastructure.
A UK government official said there had been “discussion over many years” on whether China should be put on the top tier but said there were “no immediate plans” to add China or any other countries to the list.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who in January led a delegation of leading bankers to Beijing to seek closer ties across a range of financial services, led cabinet opposition to China’s inclusion in the “enhanced tier” of the new register.
Reeves, along with business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, had argued that including Chinese nationals in the scheme would hobble business ties with the country.
The register is loosely modelled on the US Foreign Agents Registration Act. The scheme’s introduction has been delayed as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer grappled with the question of whether to include China in the more stringent level.
“Firs is the latest casualty of the UK’s China policy — a scheme designed to address state threats won’t include our biggest state threat, which makes about as much sense as it sounds.”
China has backed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, supported Iran, committed human rights violations in Xinjiang and ripped up civil rights in Hong Kong.
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