China 'a significant threat' to UK and dependency should be curbed, MPs warn

China poses “a significant threat” to the UK and the government should move to curb its dependence on the superpower to enable it to respond to aggression or abuses by Beijing, MPs have said.

But while supporting a potentially risky shift in using stronger language towards the economic and military giant, the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) warned it must be backed up by action rather than “empty rhetoric”.

It also noted that by being more resilient to China’s “weaponisation” of supply chains, Britain would be more effective as “a global player”.

However, the committee acknowledged for the foreseeable future China would continue to be a competitor as well as an essential partner to the UK, not just economically but also in terms of cooperation on issues such as climate change and trade.

MPs on the FAC said the sustainability of this approach needed to be addressed when updating the integrated review of defence and foreign policy.

The report said: “The long-term…