Britain's domestic intelligence agency, MI5, has issued a stark warning to UK lawmakers, revealing that Chinese spies are systematically attempting to recruit and cultivate them using the professional networking site LinkedIn.
Widespread Espionage Campaign Uncovered
In an official espionage alert circulated on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle detailed how operatives acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security are using fake LinkedIn profiles to conduct outreach at scale. The activity is described as both targeted and widespread.
The speaker's letter explained that the spies' objective is to collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships, utilising not only professional networking sites but also recruitment agents and consultants acting as fronts. The alert specifically named two individuals, Amanda Qiu and Shirly Shen, as being involved in this covert operation.
Broader Targeting of UK Institutions
Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis addressed Parliament, confirming that the targeting extends beyond parliamentary staff to include economists, think tank consultants, and government officials. Jarvis condemned the activity as a covert and calculated attempt by a foreign power to interfere with our sovereign affairs and stated the government would not tolerate it.
This latest warning forms part of a pattern of escalating concerns from British intelligence about espionage threats from China, which remains the UK's third-largest trading partner. The alert follows the recent collapse of a separate espionage case against two men, academic Christopher Berry and parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, whose charges were dropped in September.
A Pattern of Covert Interference
This is not the first such security alert issued to lawmakers. In January 2022, a similar warning identified London-based lawyer Christine Lee as being engaged in political interference activities in coordination with the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum recently told reporters that Chinese state actors present a national security threat to the UK every day, citing activities including cyberespionage, technology theft, and covert efforts to interfere in British public life.
