MI5 warns MPs they could be targeted by Chinese spies in new ‘espionage alert’
MI5 has warned MPs and colleagues they face a significant risk of espionage from the Chinese state.
A new “spy alert” has been distributed to members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords by the security services.
Chinese state actors have been “ruthless” in their attempts to “interfere with our processes and influence activities in Parliament”, House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said in a letter to MPs.
The House of Commons speaker claimed that China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) was “actively reaching out to individuals in our society”, arguing that they were seeking to “collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships using professional networking sites, recruitment agencies and consultants acting on their behalf”.
Security minister Dan Jarvis will speak to the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, outlining the government’s measures against Chinese espionage.
This comes after the collapse of a case against two men accused of spying for Beijing in September.
Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were charged with espionage by the CPS in April last year under the Official Secrets Act 1911, and they were accused of collecting and passing on information “which might be of use to the enemy”. Both denied the charges.
However, the Crown Prosecution Service said the case could not proceed because the government’s deputy national security adviser, Matt Collins, did not want to classify China as an active threat to national security; This has raised questions about Britain’s willingness to confront China at a time when Sir Keir’s government is seeking to establish closer ties with the country.
Mr Collins said he presented evidence of a “range of threats” posed by China but did not describe the country as a “general” threat because that was not the position of the then Conservative government.
Sir Lindsay said China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) had attempted to contact individuals in Parliament through two recruiters, Amanda Qiu of BR-YR Executive Search and Shirly Shen of the Internship Association.
Sir Lindsay said the pair “used their LinkedIn profiles to undertake large-scale outreach on behalf of the MSS”.
The letter said: “I am now writing to draw your attention to the attached Espionage Alert issued to the parliamentary community by the Security Service, MI5.
“This alert highlights how China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is actively reaching out to individuals in our community. Their goal is to gather information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships using professional networking sites, recruitment agencies, and consultants acting on their behalf.”
“The alert features two recruiters: Amanda Qiu (BR-YR Executive Search) and Shirly Shen (Internship Alliance). Both are known to use their LinkedIn profiles to conduct large-scale outreach on behalf of MSS.
“The warning also highlights that other similar profiles are acting as fronts for espionage. MI5 has issued this warning because the activity is targeted and widespread.”
He added: “It is extremely important that we all understand how this activity is taking place and how to protect ourselves against it. “We all have a responsibility to keep Parliament safe.
“The Lord Advocate also writes similar terms for the staff of members in the House of Lords.”
