We will not tolerate ‘covert’ interference, says minister amid China spying risk

Security minister Dan Jarvis has said the Government will not tolerate “covert and calculated” attempts by China to interfere with the UK’s sovereign affairs following an MI5 warning over spying threats.

MPs, peers and parliamentary staff were warned by the security service over suspected Chinese espionage via recruitment head-hunters on Tuesday.

Mr Jarvis told the House of Commons that MI5 has said China is attempting to “recruit and cultivate” individuals with access to sensitive information about Parliament and the UK Government, often masked through cover companies and head-hunters.

He added: “This activity involves a covert and calculated attempt by a foreign power to interfere with our sovereign affairs in favour of its own interests, and this Government will not tolerate it.”

The minister announced a package of measures to disrupt the threats, and that the Government is launching an “espionage action plan”.

Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle wrote to parliamentarians on Tuesday to alert them to the “espionage alert” issued by MI5 highlighting how the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) is trying to reach out to those in Westminster.

“Their aim is to collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships, using professional networking sites, recruitment agents and consultants acting on their behalf,” he said.

The alert names two head-hunters, Amanda Qiu (BR-YR Executive Search) and Shirly Shen (Internship Union), who are both known to be using LinkedIn profiles to reach out on behalf of China’s MSS, the email said.

The MI5 alert details how the Chinese intelligence service may try to recruit a target.

The alert said: “The Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) seek to collect sensitive information on the UK to gain strategic advantage.

“Following recent examples of attempts to target UK Parliament for intelligence gathering, this espionage alert seeks to highlight typical MSS tradecraft and methodology from a specific group of highly active officers.”

It warns that officers target political and economic information, particularly that which is classified or sensitive in nature.

People with direct access to information on the UK democratic system are high priority targets for MSS, and those close to potential access.

Parliament staff, economists, think tank employees and those working alongside the Government have been targeted for their networks, it said, including MPs and peers.

Mr Jarvis told MPs that his department would “stand ready to … disrupt, degrade and protect against the dangerous and unrestrained offensive cyber ecosystem that China has allowed to take hold”.

As part of measures to tackle the risk £170 million will be used to renew encrypted technology used by civil servants to safeguard sensitive work.

A further £130 million will be invested to help counter-terror police enforce the National Security Act and fund work to help businesses protect their intellectual property.

Ministers are also launching “a series of protective security campaigns”, co-ordinated by the Defending Democracy Taskforce, Mr Jarvis said, to help those involved in politics “recognise, resist and report suspicious state threat activity”.

This will include “tailored security briefings” for devolved governments and political parties by the end of the year, and new security guidance in January for all candidates for the upcoming May elections.

The Tories pressed the Government to place China in the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme (Firs).

Shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns said: “Instead of the communications plan and private closed-door meetings announced today, we urge the Government to put China in the enhanced tier of the Firs scheme.”

She also pressed the Government to reject the proposed embassy in London or require the Chinese government to pay “for sensitive underground cables to be rerouted away” from it.

Mr Jarvis said the Government is “looking closely at whether it is necessary to make further additions onto the enhanced tier”.

He added that a decision on the Chinese embassy will be made by Housing Secretary Steve Reed in a “quasi-judicial capacity”.

The Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokeswoman Lisa Smart said the plan is “not sufficient” by itself and also called for the proposed embassy near Tower Bridge to be rejected.