Tomorrow the news in the UK will be about the welfare bill, so many will overlook the fact that the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme is launching.
For those who haven’t followed closely, this is the scheme created by the National Security Act which creates two tiers for categorising countries. The Enhanced Tier is supposed to be for those we regard as needing closer scrutiny. The Political Tier is everyone else.
The difference is that states in the Enhanced Tier have more stringent registration requirements. This matters because our security services and police have few tools to address influence, and many such activities are difficult to detect, and fly undetected as much of the state-linked activity isn’t criminal, or appears superficially legitimate.
Here’s the kicker: the scheme WILL launch tomorrow *without* China in the Enhanced Tier. Russia and Iran, yes. China, no.
This means that the state described by the 2023 Intelligence and Security Committee as having “penetrated every sector of the UK economy” will not be included.
This has real world impact. United Front Work-linked individuals and organisations will NOT be subject to the more stringent registration requirements. Which means our police and security services will have fewer tools to address their activities. It will mean that those who fail to register won’t have done anything wrong.
I don’t understand how we could have the Chief of MI5 repeatedly describe UF work as one of our chief threats, and yet fail to categorise China as….one of our chief threats. It makes no sense, unless of course, you analyse it through the lens of not wanting to upset Beijing.
The UK really deserves better than this. Everybody knows China is our biggest influence challenge and we are denying the authorities the tools to deal with it. I still cling on to hope that ministers will stop subjugating security issues to trade imperatives, but starting to feel that hope is vain.
A bitter irony that this announcement will fall on the 6th anniversary of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, where China unceremoniously tore up the Sino British Joint Declaration. Another reward for Beijing’s impunity.
A good explainer on United Front below.
jamestown.org/program/united