The British government has rolled out a new action plan as MI5 issued the warning to MPs, Peers and Parliamentary staff after finding that Chinese intelligence officers were attempting to recruit people with access to sensitive state information.
British intelligence agency MI5 has warned MPs that Chinese intelligence operatives were using fake “headhunter” profiles on professional networking platform LinkedIn to target lawmakers and parliamentary staff, prompting the government to roll out new measures against mounting espionage threats.
The agency has identified two online profiles posing as legitimate recruiters but allegedly working on behalf of Chinese intelligence to cultivate relationships with individuals who have access to sensitive state information.
In response to the warning, Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced that he will coordinate a new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying from states like China.
The plan will see the intelligence services deliver security briefings for political parties and issue new guidance to election candidates to help them recognise, resist and report suspicious activity; work with professional networking sites to make them a more hostile operating environment for spies; and tighten rules on political donations through a new Elections Bill.
“Today we’ve taken action to expose a covert and calculated attempt by China to interfere with our sovereign affairs. This government’s first duty is to keep the country safe, which is why I’ve announced new action to give security officials the powers and tools they need to help disrupt and deter foreign espionage activity wherever they find it,” he said in an official statement.
“It is in our interests to continue to seek an economic relationship with China, but this government will always challenge countries whenever they undermine our democratic way of life.”
Besides the action plan, the Security Minister also announced fresh investment to strengthen the UK’s security systems, including 170 million pounds to upgrade the secure, encrypted technology used by civil servants, and another 130 million pounds for projects such as boosting Counter Terrorism Policing’s ability to enforce the National Security Act and supporting the National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Authority in helping key businesses protect their intellectual property.
He also told Parliament that the government has finished removing surveillance equipment made by companies governed by China’s National Intelligence Law from all sensitive UK government sites worldwide.
The new MI5 warning follows the collapse of a case in September against two British men accused of spying for China. Prosecutors dropped the charges, saying the government had not given enough evidence that Beijing posed a national security threat.
Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of putting better relations with China ahead of security, a claim the government rejects.
The alert also comes as ministers prepare to decide whether to approve a large new Chinese embassy in London, which critics fear could create security risks.
(With Reuters inputs)
