Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanism the Foreign Office uses to log incidents of Chinese transnational repression within the UK; and if he will consider establishing a formal dialogue with Beijing to raise these cases directly as matters affecting UK sovereignty.

The Government will not tolerate attempts by foreign states to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK. The UK has a broad suite of powers available to counter foreign interference, including acts which amount to transnational repression. We continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which strengthens our legal powers and makes the UK a harder target.

We have already rolled out training to improve the police's ability to investigate potential incidents that may be state directed. This is in addition to publishing practical guidance online for those who believe themselves to be at risk of transnational repression. We raise concerns about transnational repression directly with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.