Higher death toll in Derna, Libya expected due to Storm 'Daniel';
Britain gov't rejects call to label China as threat
Britain gov't rejects call to label China as threat
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00:00 Good day, I'm William Thieau and this is PTV News Now.
00:16 The death toll in Libya which devastated the eastern city of Derna might reach a thousand
00:21 according to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
00:27 Following the massive floodwaters unleashed by Storm Daniel, the preliminary death toll
00:32 stood at least 2,300 dead by late Tuesday.
00:37 Emergency services said over 5,000 people were reported missing with 7,000 injuries
00:43 on record.
00:45 On Sunday, two dams burst releasing a surge of water that tore through the city, sweeping
00:50 away buildings and the people inside.
00:53 United Nations and other countries including Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Qatar and Tunisia
01:00 offered to send aid.
01:02 Meanwhile, the British government has rejected calls to officially label China as a threat
01:08 to its interests.
01:10 Just recently, a researcher in the British Parliament was arrested for allegedly spying
01:15 for Beijing, which prompted lawmakers to call for a tougher line.
01:20 Henry Ridgewell from London has the report.
01:25 British police detained two men in March on suspicion of spying for China.
01:31 The arrests came to light only this week when the Sunday Times newspaper reported that one
01:36 of the suspects was a researcher in the British Parliament with connections to several senior
01:42 members of the ruling Conservative Party.
01:44 In a statement posted online, the researcher, whom VOA is choosing not to name, said he
01:50 was innocent and claimed he had spent his career trying to educate others about the
01:56 challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party.
02:01 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised the incident with Chinese Premier Li Qiang
02:07 at the recent G20 summit in India and told lawmakers Tuesday he would defend British
02:13 democracy.
02:14 "I was emphatic with Premier Li that actions which seek to undermine British democracy
02:20 are completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated."
02:24 China said the allegations of spying were a fabrication.
02:28 "We urge the UK to stop spreading false information and stop its anti-China political manipulation
02:35 and malicious slander."
02:37 But critics say Britain must go further.
02:40 Finn Lau is a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong who now lives in exile in London
02:46 after fleeing China's crackdown on protests in 2019.
02:50 "I would say that there is some kind of a lack of coherent approach or even China policy
02:57 at the moment, especially regarding national security or some kind of threat overseas."
03:04 That view has been echoed by several British lawmakers.
03:08 The former Prime Minister Liz Truss is among Conservative Party members calling on the
03:13 government to officially recognise China as a threat to Britain.
03:18 But speaking on a visit to a car factory Monday, Britain's Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch
03:24 rejected that demand.
03:25 "We cannot describe China as foes.
03:28 They are our fourth largest trading partner.
03:30 There are many businesses, not least the very one I'm standing, which are integrated with
03:37 the Chinese economy, many jobs are reliant on it."
03:40 Lau says that reliance is overstated.
03:43 "China only accounts for 6.1% of total trade volume in the UK.
03:49 We should focus on diversifying our trading relationships starting from today."
03:54 Meanwhile both of the suspects arrested in March were released on bail.
03:59 The police investigation is continuing.
04:02 Henry Ridgewell, VUA News, London.
04:04 This is William Thew.
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