China has labelled as 'malicious slander' and a 'political farce' the scandal surrounding the arrest of a parliamentary researcher in London on suspicion of spying for the Chinese government. The man, in his 20s, was arrested in March under the Official Secrets Act and held a parliamentary pass allowing unescorted access to large parts of the Westminster estate.
China's embassy in the UK issued a statement on Sunday, saying: 'The claim that China is suspected of stealing British intelligence is completely fabricated and nothing but malicious slander.' A foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, reiterated on Monday that 'the so-called Chinese espionage activity in the UK is non-existent.'
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised the matter with China's Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in Delhi, expressing 'very strong concerns about any interference in our parliamentary democracy.' According to the British account, Li responded that the two countries had 'differences in opinion.' China's readout did not mention the issue.
The researcher had links to senior Conservatives and potential access to sensitive information, working with MPs including Alicia Kearns and Tom Tugendhat, both of whom have taken a strong interest in China-related matters. Kearns declined to comment, saying: 'While I recognise the public interest, we all have a duty to ensure any work of the authorities is not jeopardised.'
The case has prompted calls for tighter procedures for issuing Westminster passes. It emerged a week after Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Beijing in an attempt to repair bilateral relations.
