Question: On 13 July, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament issued a report claiming that China is penetrating every sector of the UK, interfering in UK politics, stealing British intellectual property, and trying to send agents into Britain’s intelligence services. What is your comment?

Embassy Spokesperson: This is a poisonous report that makes groundless accusations based on fabricated facts to smear China. We firmly oppose and strongly condemn it.

First, China always stands for non-interference in each other’s internal affairs in its foreign policy. It is not in our “veins” to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, still less is there any need for us to interfere in the UK. The practice of relevant UK politicians of making fake accusations against China is ridiculous.

Second, China's rapid progress in science and technology has not been achieved by stealing or robbing others, but with the wisdom and hard work of the Chinese people including the vast number of scientific and technological talent of the country.

China is a major creator of intellectual property and is committed to its protection. According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators report, China topped the world in terms of number of patents in force in 2021. The report of the UK side lists so-called main areas from which China has stolen British intellectual property, but the fact is that China has long surpassed the UK in those areas and has exported a lot of advanced equipment to the UK. The allegations of the UK side are senseless and absurd.

Third, the report portrays Chinese companies, citizens and Chinese communities in the UK as "spies" and describes normal personnel exchanges as a move to achieve "political influence". This shows that those who concocted this report are deeply biased against China and have a serious lack of self-confidence. As the Chinese saying goes, people in a state of paranoia take even bushes and trees as enemies. It is time for them to seek medical attention for their serious paranoia.

We urge the relevant British politicians to abandon the Cold War mentality and their prejudice against China, stop spreading rumours to slander China, stop their "witch hunt" against China, and stop creating obstacles to the development of China-UK relations.