UK spy agency warns MPs over Chinese ‘headhunters’

LONDON: Britain´s domestic intelligence agency MI5 warned on Tuesday that China was using spies disguised as headhunters to recruit parliamentarians, amid concern over Beijing´s activities in the UK.

The allegations were promptly denied by a spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in London who said they were “pure fabrication and malicious slander”, adding Beijing had “lodged stern representations” with the UK government.

“We urge the UK side to immediately stop this self-staged charade of false accusations and self-aggrandisement, and stop going further down the wrong path of undermining China-UK relations,” the embassy spokesperson said.

There have been heightened fears about Chinese espionage in the UK after a politically sensitive case against two alleged spies was dropped, and as the government mulls a request from Beijing to build a controversial new embassy building in London.

“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 on Tuesday.

“Our intelligence agencies have warned that China is attempting to recruit and cultivate individuals with access to sensitive information about parliament and the UK government,” said Jarvis.

According to the MI5 alert, the activity was being carried out by “Chinese intelligence officers, often masked through the use of cover companies or external headhunters”, said Jarvis.

MI5 named two online profiles that are “believed to be legitimate headhunters working for Chinese intelligence officials” and building relationships with targets through platforms such as LinkedIn.

The espionage alert, which the government said was issued to disrupt the spying activity, comes weeks after prosecutors dropped charges against two men, including a parliamentary researcher, accused of spying for Beijing.

The government denied accusations that the charges were scuppered to protect its improving but fragile relations with China, while lawmakers and MI5 voiced frustrations that the case had been abandoned.