Security Minister Dan Jarvis has warned that China is attempting to interfere in UK democracy by targeting MPs and peers to obtain sensitive parliamentary information. In a statement, Jarvis said MI5 issued an espionage alert earlier today to parliamentarians and staff, highlighting that Chinese agents are posing as headhunters or employees of cover companies to make contact.
Jarvis described the activity as a “covert and calculated attempt by a foreign power to interfere in our sovereign affairs in favour of its own interests.” He added that the government will not tolerate such actions and will take all necessary measures to protect national security, including working with allies.
The minister noted that this pattern of behaviour includes previous incidents such as cyber-operations targeting parliamentary emails in 2021 and the case of Christine Lee in 2022. He emphasised that the UK will always challenge any country, including China, that attempts to undermine the integrity of democratic institutions.
