Britain’s MI5 warns lawmakers over Chinese spies posing as ‘headhunters’

The British government’s internal intelligence agency is informing lawmakers and universities about China’s espionage attempts, among other methods, by using spies posing as headhunters, to eavesdrop on.

Britain’s MI5 security service warned lawmakers on Tuesday that China was using spies posing as headhunters to recruit parliamentarians, with two individuals on LinkedIn claiming to “conduct outreach at scale on behalf” of the Chinese government.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the House of Commons on Tuesday that MI5 issued an espionage alert to Parliament and parliamentary staff to warn them of ongoing attacks on our democratic institutions by Chinese actors.

Our intelligence services have warned that China is attempting to recruit and cultivate individuals with access to sensitive information about the UK government and Parliament, according to Jarvis.

With thousands of obscene postings appearing on websites for job seekers, MI5 reported that Chinese spies were using fake job advertisements to entice British professionals to provide information.

Beijing quickly refuted the accusations, urging Britain to stop its “self-aggrandizement.”

A representative from the Chinese embassy in London urged the UK side to “stop this self-staged charade of false accusations and self-aggrandizement,” adding that Beijing had “lodged stern representations” with the UK government.

Jarvis also warned that Chinese attempts to “interfere with activity on campus” and impose their own research on Britain’s universities were a target. He claimed that ministers would discuss the dangers of foreign interference at a private meeting with university leaders.

The British government has issued a new warning following British prosecutors’ decision to drop a case against two British men accused of spying on Chinese MPs, claiming that there was no conclusive evidence to support Beijing’s claim to be a threat to its national security.

Opposition politicians allege that Prime Minister Keir Starmer prioritized improving relations with Beijing over national security as a result of the case’s collapse. The allegations are refuted by the government.

The government will also be forced to approve a sizable new Chinese embassy in London, which is expected to be approved in coming weeks, which is met with controversy.

A Chinese businessman who allegedly had ties to then-Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was prohibited from entering the country last year because he alleged that he posed a threat to national security.