Britain's security service MI5 warns UK lawmakers Chinese spies posing as headhunters

Britain's MI5 security service issued a new warning to lawmakers on Tuesday about attempts by Chinese agents to collect information and influence activity, its latest accusation that Beijing is trying to spy on the nation's parliament.

Lawmakers were told Chinese spies were targeting them by posing as headhunters or companies to make contact, with two individuals reaching out on LinkedIn to "conduct outreach at scale on behalf" of the Chinese government.

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The speakers of the lower and upper houses of parliament said MI5 had said the Chinese Ministry of State Security was "actively reaching out to individuals in our community".

Britain's Security Minister Dan Jarvis told parliament the alert revealed "a covert and calculated attempt" by Beijing to interfere in UK politics and said the government would launch a counterespionage plan to address the threat.

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The new warning comes after British prosecutors abandoned a case in September against two British men charged with spying on members of parliament for China, saying the British government had not provided clear evidence to show that Beijing was a threat to its national security.

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

It also comes just weeks before the government must decide whether to approve a massive new Chinese embassy in London that critics say will pose a security risk.

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Lawmakers should be careful because "China has a low threshold for what information is considered to be of value", Jarvis said, adding that China was also interfering with academic work in Britain’s universities.

He said ministers would hold a closed event with university leaders to highlight the risks of foreign interference.

In January 2022, MI5 sent out an alert notice about lawyer Christine Lee, alleging she was "involved in political interference activities" in the United Kingdom on behalf of China's ruling Communist Party.

Lee later sued MI5 in a bid to clear her name, but lost the case.