Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has launched a scathing attack on Labour’s approach to China, accusing the opposition party of “appeasement” in its dealings with Beijing.
Speaking to GB News, Braverman warned that the Labour government “doesn’t have a grip at all of the threat” posed by China.
Her comments come as concerns about Chinese influence in British institutions have intensified following recent revelations about alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo’s connections to the establishment.
Braverman specifically criticised Labour’s recent engagement with China, pointing to Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s recent Beijing visit and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ planned trip to China in the coming weeks.
Suella Braverman said that the government are appeasing China
GB News
“We’re seeing Rachel Reeves going to China in a few weeks time. Now, this government doesn’t have a grip at all of the threat. And quite the opposite, they’ve got an approach of appeasement,” she said.
“We saw David Lammy go to Beijing a few weeks ago, ignoring the issue of genocide because he’s too scared to confront the Chinese Government.
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“We’ve seen the surrender of sovereign UK territory in the form of Diego Garcia, which falls into the hands of the Chinese state and gives them influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We’ve seen appeasement through cancelling our free speech act because the Chinese government allegedly put pressure on this labor government to cancel it because they’re clamping down on challenge against the Chinese Communist Party.
“So there is a huge amount that this government has to answer for. They don’t have a grip. They are failing to introduce vital measures that we implemented last year.”
Her comments come amid fresh concerns over Chinese influence following revelations about Yang Tengbo, who has been publicly identified as a suspected Chinese spy with close ties to Prince Andrew.
Yang Tengbo (centre) is accused of spying for ChinaREUTERS
The High Court recently lifted an injunction that had previously referred to Yang only as “H6”.
Yang, 50, described as a “close confidant” of the Duke of York, was photographed with former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.
He received an invitation to Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020, indicating his close relationships with members of the Royal Family.
Yang has since lost an appeal against a UK entry ban imposed due to national security threats, with judges determining he was not truthful about his connections to the Chinese state.
Braverman described China’s actions as a “silent war” being waged against the West and the UK.
GB News
The Duke of York’s office stated he ended all contact with Yang once concerns were raised by Her Majesty’s Government.
Braverman described China’s actions as a “silent war” being waged against the West and the UK.
“It’s prolific. And as the heads of MI5 and the FBI said a few years ago, China represents the largest single national security threat to our long term security in the UK,” she told GB News.
She warned that Chinese influence takes “a multitude of forms,” from hostile company takeovers to institutional influence through Confucius Institutes.
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