UK to Introduce New Law to Combat 'Hostile States', Including Russia and China, The Times Reports

The UK government is set to introduce new legislation that requires all individuals working on behalf of foreign governments to register their presence in the country, according to The Times.

These measures are aimed at protecting the UK from 'hostile states' such as Russia and China.

Reports indicate that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce the introduction of the new law during the Queen's speech scheduled for May 11. He is expected to present the new regulations in light of growing concerns regarding actions taken by Moscow and Beijing.

Under the new regulations, failure to register will lead to criminal liability. The reforms will expand the scope of existing laws and will also cover the pursuit and expulsion of foreign spies threatening UK national interests.

The idea of registering foreigners is based on a similar scheme in the United States, where foreign agents must register with the Department of Justice and submit regular reports on their activities.

The law will apply to any individual representing the interests of other states. The UK government also intends to review the Official Secrets Act and amend existing regulations to apply to foreigners attempting to undermine national interests from abroad. Currently, this law only applies to UK citizens located overseas.

Additionally, it is planned to update the terminology used in the legislation, which many government officials believe is 'outdated.' Currently, illegal actions are defined as 'theft of a scheme, program, model that may directly or indirectly benefit an enemy.' The government aims to replace this phrasing with 'documents, information, or other materials that could benefit foreign states.'