London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled a £1 billion investment in microchip manufacture in an attempt to end reliance on China.

Speaking in Japan, the PM said his two decade long national semiconductor strategy would help "build our competitive edge on the global stage", reports The Sun.

The announcement of the 20-year plan comes after Mr Sunak used a G7-related trip to Japan to agree a partnership on semiconductors with Tokyo as part of efforts to reduce the reliance on Beijing for the supply of the essential microchips, the newspaper reported.

Britain and its Western allies are taking an increasingly hawkish stance towards Chinese technology, including in their communication networks and surveillance equipment, over fears President Xi Jinping's national security laws could force the Far East country's tech giants to hand over foreign data to the ruling Communist Party.

Officials told the newspaper that they also will underpin future technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and 6G.