Tories promise stricter regulations for ‘Axis of Authoritarian States’ such as China
The party has pledged to include China, Russia, and Iran in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which will require agents to declare most activities.
Describing Communist-ruled China as part of an “axis of authoritarian states and hostile actors,” the Tories announced on Tuesday that they will impose stricter rules for Chinese agents.
In their general election manifesto, the Conservative Party stated that if they remain in power after July 4, they will place China, along with Russia and Iran, on the enhanced tier of the long-awaited Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS). This means that agents from these countries will need to disclose nearly all their activities.
The party also declared their intentions to safeguard the British car industry from unfair competition from China, enhance national security protections, and address human rights concerns.
Former British Army intelligence officer Philip Ingram described these promises as “the minimum expected from any future government” in light of China’s global influence.
The government has been under pressure to include the Chinese regime in the enhanced tier of the FIRS since they started developing the system with new powers under the National Security Act 2023.
Under the proposed scheme, foreign agents and entities controlled by specified foreign powers (excluding diplomats and their families) will be obligated to report activities aimed at influencing UK politics.
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Agents from a foreign power included in the enhanced tier will need to register almost all activities, with exceptions like cooking or providing building services to a diplomatic mission.
Last September, then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman informed MPs that there was a strong argument for including China in the enhanced tier, but the commitment had not been made by ministers previously.
The Conservative Party, pledging to include Russia, Iran, and China in the enhanced tier, emphasized the need for the UK to be prepared to confront the “axis of authoritarian states and hostile actors working together to threaten international security.
The party stated that they will strengthen relationships with Commonwealth nations and like-minded partners through alliances such as G7, Five Eyes, and NATO; enhance national security measures; support domestic car manufacturers in the face of unfair global trade practices; continue expressing concerns regarding China’s violation of universal human rights and international commitments, and impose sanctions on those involved in human rights violations.
Additionally, they mentioned that a Tory government will engage with China as long as it serves British interests.
Reacting to these promises, Mr. Ingram stated that they represent a clear acknowledgment of the risks China poses to British businesses and its alignment with recognized hostile states like Russia and Iran.
Former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who urged the government to include China in the enhanced tier of the FIRS, commented in The Telegraph that the manifesto is a positive starting point, but the party must deliver on its commitments.
The Epoch Times reached out to Labour for a response.
In 2021, Conservative MP Bob Seely called on the UK to update its lobbying regulations, citing outdated legislation incapable of effectively addressing agents and proxies of foreign states.
In a report published with the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), Mr. Seely highlighted the growing complexity and subtlety of hostile state activities since the 1990s, with lobbying being used as a tactic to undermine Western nations.
