The suggestion this weekend that an alleged Chinese spy is a British-born parliamentary researcher – leading a policy group aimed at countering the growing threat from Beijing – has sent shockwaves through Westminster and beyond. The individual denies the accusations and says he is ‘completely innocent’ but MPs who know him and many of us who interacted with him are obviously concerned.
The investigation into the alleged spy is still ongoing, but regardless of the police’s findings Xi Jinping’s regime has long been running a campaign to influence, infiltrate and intimidate people abroad, with the aim of silencing critics and subverting democracy. These concerns have gained particular prominence in the UK. Last year, MI5 sounded the alarm about the apparent threat from Beijing’s agents in Westminster – when it alleged that a UK-based lawyer Christine Lee was involved in ‘political interference activities’ (Lee strongly denies wrongdoing and is suing the MI5 over the allegations.) Earlier this summer parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee warned that China has penetrated ‘every sector’ of the UK economy in a ‘whole of state’ assault, and that the UK’s response is ‘completely inadequate’.
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