Minister calls China ‘security threat’ after UK and US blame Beijing for hacking

A Cabinet minister has described China as a “security threat” as the Government faces demands to officially label the country as a “threat”.

The Government currently describes China as an “epoch-defining challenge” but has faced pressure from MPs across the Commons to formally upgrade its assessment of Beijing.

Those calls increased in volume on Monday following confirmation that Chinese spies were behind “malicious” cyber attacks on the Electoral Commission and individual MPs and peers.

Former cabinet ministers Sir and Suella Braverman have both featured among the prominent backbench voices calling for China to be labelled a threat.