Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 warned on Tuesday that China is trying to recruit parliamentarians through spies disguised as headhunters, amid growing concerns over Beijing’s activities in the UK.
“Earlier today, MI5 issued an espionage alert to parliament and parliamentary staff to warn them about ongoing targeting of our democratic institutions by Chinese actors,” security minister Dan Jarvis told the House of Commons. According to the MI5 alert, Chinese intelligence officers are using cover companies or external headhunters to build relationships with targets through platforms like LinkedIn.
Universities and Cyber Threats
Jarvis also highlighted measures to disrupt and deter threats posed by China and other states, which include greater scrutiny of political funding and security briefings for political parties. He noted that British universities are targets of Chinese attempts to influence independent research and interfere with campus activities. Government ministers will hold a closed event with university leaders to discuss these risks.
Moreover, the UK is also ready to disrupt the dangerous and unrestrained offensive cyber ecosystem that China has allowed to take hold, Jarvis said.
Jarvis’s statement aims to allay concerns that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is prioritizing Chinese investment over security concerns. However, it could put Starmer in a tight spot with a decision on Beijing’s request to build a new embassy in London due next month.
Multiple Western nations accuse Beijing of using espionage to gather technological information and conducting global online surveillance targeting critics.
