Concerns about the major disruption to global supply chains and the consequences of any coordinated western response have been examined by civil servants as part of what is said to be routine "forward-scanning" exercises.
Foreign Office insiders said there was no change to the scale or urgency of the work, though they conceded that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year had given it renewed importance.
Ahead of an update to Britain's defence and security strategy, known as the Integrated Review, Rishi Sunak is facing pressure from China hawks in his party to re-classify the country as a "threat" instead of a "systemic challenge".
On Friday, his predecessor, Liz Truss, is due to give a speech in Japan, which will be viewed as an attempt to push Sunak to take a tougher stance against China amid the clamour over "spy balloons" shot down over North America, recent incursions against democracy, and human rights abuses.
This story is from the February 15, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the February 15, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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