Sir Keir Starmer has challenged Rishi Sunak over David Cameron’s appointment as foreign secretary, raising concerns about his links to China. The Labor leader asked when there would be “full public disclosure of your work to support China’s interests”.
Sir Keir cited Lord Cameron’s previous work for a Chinese investment fund which he said may have been “engineered by the Chinese state”.
The Prime Minister said Sir Cameron had “wonderful experience”. Defending his appointment, Mr Sunak said he would help the UK navigate “an uncertain world”. He added: “Like all other ministers in government, he will follow the usual procedure with independent counsel. ”
The former prime minister made a surprise return to the cabinet as part of Mr Sunak’s dramatic reshuffle on Monday, when he sacked Suella Braverman as home secretary.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “The Prime Minister clearly cares so little for his own MPs that he had to remove David Cameron from his seven-year exile in a shepherd’s hut sheep and appointed him Foreign Minister.
Raising concerns about Mr Cameron’s interests in China, the Labor leader highlighted his previous role as vice-chairman of a Sino-British investment fund.
He cited a report released by the National Assembly’s Intelligence and Security Committee earlier this year that said it was possible that the role was “partly designed by the Chinese state to lend credibility to Chinese investments. ”
China, as well as Chinese brand image in a broad sense. ”
In response, Mr Sunak said: “China represents a historic challenge. That is why we have taken strong and robust measures to protect against the risk it poses. ”
When he was Prime Minister, Sir Cameron hailed a “golden age” of closer ties between Britain and China. Since leaving Number 10, some of his business activities have also involved China. For example, he gave a speech supporting investment in a new port in Sri Lanka, which was strongly supported by Beijing.
Relations between Britain and China have been strained in recent years, with tensions over issues including the crackdown on human rights in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Last year, Mr Sunak declared the “golden age” was over, calling closer economic ties over the previous decade “naive”.