China's tentacles

 It is always good to have a reminder that foreign nations and corporations work continuously to achieve an administration in Westminster favourable to themselves or at least to undermine trust in our institutions. Thus the activities of Christine Lee, a London-based lawyer, in funnelling funds whose ultimate source may have been an agency of the Chinese state, first revealed a number of years ago, were the subject of a further warning from MI5 recently. It did give the Home Secretary an opportunity to make a statement in the House, which some cynics have characterised as part of a campaign to divert attention from the Prime Minister's troubles, especially as she failed to respond to virtually all requests for further action. In particular, shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asked:

Can she tell me when the Russia report’s recommendations will be implemented in full and when the results of the consultation on foreign state interference, which closed last summer, will be published?

When will there be a response to the Committee’s crucial recommendation on the funding of digital campaigns and to its important recommendation that more needs to be done on identifying the source of donations and the role of shell companies? Labour has tabled a common-sense amendment to the Elections Bill this very afternoon: new clause 9, which would close the loophole allowing foreign donors to hide behind shell companies. Will the Home Secretary now support that important amendment to ensure that donors to UK political parties have a connection to the UK?

 - to which Ms Patel did not respond. She was similarly unhelpful to MPs from her own side making positive suggestions.

But we should also be active in countering China's subversion of other nations, including fellow-members of the Commonwealth. Sri Lanka's plight has given rare publicity to a consistent Chinese campaign across the globe of using short-term loans for infrastructure projects to create a network of indebted states. China has huge military resources but hardly has need of them when she has the power of the IOU. Votes in the General Assembly of the UN may be influenced by the generosity or otherwise of President Xi when it comes to restructuring debt.  

The latest project in Sri Lanka, "Colombo Port City" may serve a dual purpose in that it will avowedly provide competition for Singapore which remains proudly independent of her Chinese cousins.