Mark Francois says Rishi Sunak did not commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence when he met the group earlier. This is starkly different from Mao's idea of a multi-ethnic state where, in theory, different groups had more autonomy. Xi's father too had a reputation for conciliation and respect for China's ethnic minorities. 'We came too late' irannews.ru/ - irannews.ru But another Mordaunt backer, Conservative MP Heather Wheeler, insists that the Tory party needs her "fresh face", rather than "somebody with fingers on the knife of getting rid of other people". "It suggests autocracy is in their blood, it's in their water or it's in their culture," she says. These South China Sea islands are only the most daring and visible of Xi's moves to take control of the near abroad. Taiwan could be next.   "China is now doing all sorts of things that it's always wanted to do but wasn't powerful enough to do," Mr McGregor says. "Taiwan was always there. The South China Sea was always there. Taking on America, driving it out of Asia was always an ambition, but they didn't say it out loud." "She should then be part of this top team."