logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
34m 26s

Britain’s China conundrum

Financial Times
About this episode

The government is preparing a crackdown on Chinese entities operating in the UK, following malicious cyber campaigns linked to Beijing. But there are tensions among ministers over how to protect the UK’s national interests without heavily damaging trade with China. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker, Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to discuss the government’s tricky balancing act. Plus, as the political term draws to a close, it’s time to mark Rishi Sunak’s report card.


Want more? Free links:

Rishi Sunak promises ‘careful’ crackdown in wake of China cyber attacks

US and UK accuse China of cyber attacks on politicians and companies

Rishi Sunak’s attempt to boost Tory morale hit after two ministers resign

MPs clock off early as length of Commons work day hits record low

The frightening chill on free speech


Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Robert @robertshrimsley, Miranda @greenmiranda, George @GeorgeWParker

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline with Leah Qiunn. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 4
A year of Keir
This week marks a year of Keir Starmer’s government. But if Labour was expecting to celebrate the anniversary – it didn't pan out that way. Despite claiming a narrow victory with the contentious welfare bill, the government appeared to have one of its roughest weeks on record. Ho ... Show More
37m 29s
Jun 27
Starmer’s welfare woes
Sir Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion from within his own party this week after scores of MPs opposed changes to make it tougher to collect some disability benefits. This episode — recorded just before the prime minister’s concessions on welfare reform — unpacks why the rebelli ... Show More
35m 10s
Jun 20
Starmer on standby
Will he? Won’t he? President Donald Trump has given little indication as to whether America will join in the conflict between Israel and Iran. So where does this leave the UK and its assets in the region? How does the prime minister play his hand with the president, and what does ... Show More
27m 10s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Rishi Sunak tries to rally Conservatives
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tries to revive Conservative morale with a speech in London, four Chinese generative artificial intelligence start-ups have been valued at more than $1bn in the past three months, and US shale oil companies are under the spotlight over allegations of ... Show More
12m 28s
Jul 2023
The China Threat
The government needs to radically change its approach to Chinese ambitions in the UK according to a report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. The report says Chinese investment in the UK has gone unchecked. It warns that allowing China to develop significant sta ... Show More
28m 39s
Sep 2021
Is Xi Jinping moving China into a new era of Maoism?
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/7a545b87-55eb-4dbd-b9a0-c80def4bdcf8 Pfizer’s chief scientific officer Philip Dormitzer denied that the company should have developed a more potent Covid-19 vaccine, and the Taliban has announced Afghanistan’s ... Show More
10m 43s
Sep 2021
China’s digital dictatorship
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/efcae358-e439-4135-9600-55b23dcd7dc8 Australia’s nuclear submarine deal with the US and UK is set to provide a political boost for Scott Morrison’s conservative government, and UK business and energy secretary ... Show More
10m 57s
Aug 2021
Daily: CATCH A DRAGON BY ITS TAIL – China’s money, Britain’s folly
Cameron and Osborne’s “Golden Era” of cosying up to China turned out to be a golden error, as Beijing dug deep into British life, politics, and technology. Investigative journalist Sam Dunning tells Arthur Snell how the Conservatives’ strings-free get-rich-quick strategy turned i ... Show More
30m 18s
Jul 2022
Marxism degrees are having a moment in China
Pressure mounts on UK prime minister Boris Johnson to resign, but the pound holds steady. Plus the Chinese government is pushing for more students to study Marxism.  Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mentioned in this podcast:Cabinet ministers call on ... Show More
9m 47s
Mar 2023
Britain’s stuck economy
EY employees were told that the plan to spin off the consulting business needs to be reworked, and Chinese president Xi Jinping is preparing to shore up financial stability at home while trying to keep up in an intense rivalry with the US over technology. Plus the FT’s Chris Gile ... Show More
10m 6s
Oct 2022
US midterms countdown: Republicans bank on inflation
UK lawmakers plan to introduce legislation making rail strikes harder, private sector attendance at China’s Communist party congress has fallen by almost 50 per cent since Xi Jinping assumed power, and Republicans are banking on the inflation issue to win them control of the US C ... Show More
11m 29s
Aug 2023
Another coup in Africa
Military officers in oil-rich Gabon said they had seized power, US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo wrapped up a visit to China, and the billionaire founder of Apple supplier Foxconn is running for president of Taiwan.  Mentioned in this podcast:Fed warned Goldman Sachs over risk ... Show More
8m 49s
Jun 2024
The shifting tectonic plates of UK politics
Credit agencies have misrated more than $100bn of commercial real estate debt, new election polls suggest the UK could be in for a seismic political shift, and the Philippines has been secretly reinforcing a dilapidated warship marooned on a South China Sea reef. Plus, drilling f ... Show More
11m 55s