Rishi Sunak said China is “behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad” ahead of an expected Government announcement of fresh sanctions against Beijing over cyber attacks.
The Prime Minister repeated his stance that Beijing presented an “epoch-defining challenge”.
Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Barrow-in-Furness today, Mr Sunak said: “We’ve been very clear that the situation now is that China is behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad, authoritarian at home and it represents an epoch-defining challenge, and also the greatest state-based threat to our economic security.
“So, it’s right that we take measures to protect ourselves, which is what we are doing.”
Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister, is expected to tell MPs this afternoon that Beijing was behind a wave of cyber attacks against MPs and peers, as well as a hack on the Electoral Commission.
Mr Sunak would not be drawn on what Mr Dowden will say but said: “When it comes to cyber, we have the National Cyber Security Centre, which is world leading. Indeed, when I’m out and about across the world, other leaders want to learn and talk to us because they believe that our capabilities in this country are very strong.”
