British MI5 warns lawmakers about Chinese spies posing as ‘headhunters’ | Politics News

Beijing denies the claim, which comes weeks before the government is due to decide whether to approve a new Chinese embassy.

Britain’s domestic intelligence agency is warning the country’s lawmakers and universities about espionage attempts by China using spies posing as headhunters, among other tactics.

In a warning issued to lawmakers on Tuesday, Britain’s security service MI5 warned Parliament that China was using spies disguised as headhunters to recruit MPs, and two people communicated on LinkedIn to “carry out large-scale outreach activities on behalf” of the Chinese government.

“Earlier today, MI5 issued a spy alert” to Parliament and parliamentary staff “to warn them about ongoing attacks on 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 people with access to sensitive information about Parliament and the UK government,” Jarvis said.

In October, MI5 said Chinese spies were creating fake job adverts to try to lure British professionals into handing over information, with thousands of suspicious postings placed on online recruitment platforms.

Beijing quickly denied the allegations and called on Britain to stop its “self-aggrandizement.”

“We urge the British side to immediately stop this self-assembled charade of false accusations and self-aggrandizement, and stop continuing down the wrong path of undermining China-UK relations,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said, adding that Beijing had “submitted stern representations” to the UK government.

Jarvis also warned that British universities were the target of Chinese attempts to influence their “independent research and interfere with activity on campus.” He said ministers would hold a closed event with university leaders to highlight the risks of foreign interference.

The new warning comes after British prosecutors in September dropped a case against two British men accused of spying on Chinese Members of Parliament (MPs), saying the British government had not provided clear evidence showing Beijing was a threat to its national security.

The failure of the case led to accusations from opposition politicians that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was prioritizing better relations with Beijing over national security. The government denies the claims.

The warning also comes just weeks before the government is due to decide whether to approve a huge new Chinese embassy in London that critics say will pose a security risk.

Last year, the United Kingdom banned a Chinese businessman with alleged links to then-Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, entered the country, saying the alleged spy posed a risk to national security.

The man had reportedly become a “close confidant” of the scandal victim. Andrew and was invited to royal residences, such as Buckingham Palace. The man also allegedly met two former UK leaders on several occasions.