UK ‘must anticipate hostile states using pandemic’

The UK must work to stop China and Russia using the pandemic to their global advantage, MPs have warned.

The Commons Defense Committee said that an ongoing review of foreign and security policy should give priority to the capabilities of “hostile states”.

It called for a “robust assessment” of the threat posed by Moscow and Beijing to UK interests at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, the government has introduced new powers for police to detain people they suspect of espionage.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said this would send a “clear message” of “zero tolerance” to anyone trying to curb UK interests,

Downing Street has promised that its “integrated review” of foreign, defense, security and international development policies – the first for five years – will be the most far-reaching since the Cold War.

But the cross-party committee, led by conservative former minister Tobias Ellwood, said it was “concerned that the gap between this expectation and reality is widening”.

The report urged the government to welcome “challenge” from the military, international allies, industry, parliament and the public.

Warning against an “behind-the-scenes” approach, the commission also asked for clarity on which ministers would chair the main meetings if Boris Johnson was not present and which input special advisers, including PM’s chief assistant to Dominic Cummings.

The commission said it was told by UK deputy national security adviser Alex Ellis that it was expected that coronavirus would lead to “intensified geo-political competition”.

“Within this context, it is important to consider how hostile foreign states can use the pandemic to their advantage,” it added.

‘Ever-changing threat’

The United Kingdom, Russia and China are all at the forefront of global efforts to produce a vaccine, with Russia saying on Tuesday that it had given regulated approval after less than two months of testing on humans.

The United Kingdom has accused Russia of trying to steal the fax research from UK scientists, a claim denied by Moscow.

The commission said it had heard that both Russia and China – with which the UK is aware of cyber-espionage and Hong Kong – were “using intrusion as an important tool”.

It said the UK needed to assess the “full range” of economic and diplomatic activities in which the countries were involved.

There have been speculations that the review could lead to a further reduction in the size of the army, but the commission said decisions should be driven by strategy rather than money.

As of Thursday, Home Office specially trained police have the power to stop, interrogate and arrest people traveling through UK ports suspected of working for hostile states.

Ms Patel said the threat was “growing and constantly changing”, and promised new laws to “stay ahead”.