On the sidelines of the G20 summit in India, UK's prime minister Rishi Sunak chastised China Sunday (September 10) for what he said was an "unacceptable" interference in his country's democracy. The remarks were issued after a British newspaper reported a Parliament researcher was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of spying for Beijing.
Downing Street officials confirmed Sunak raised the concerns with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in an unscheduled meeting while attending the G20 summit.
Sunak later told British broadcasters in New Delhi about the meeting, confirming that he raised to Li his "very strong concerns" about the alleged interference in his country's parliamentary democracy.
Sunak and Li met after the Metropolitan Police arrested two men, one in his 20s and the other in his 30s, in March under the UK's Official Secrets Act. Both men were not charged and were bailed until October, pending further inquiries.
If the spying allegations were proven, the case would represent one of the most serious breaches of security involving a foreign adversary.
The Sunday Times reported that the younger man was a parliamentary researcher working with senior lawmakers from the ruling Conservative Party, including Foreign Affairs Committee chair Alicia Kearns and her predecessor and current security minister, Tom Tugendhat. The report further alleged the suspect held a pass that allowed him full access to the Parliament buildings, which were issued to lawmakers, staff, and journalists after security vetting.
Meanwhile, the pressure group Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China said they were appalled with the reports of Chinese interference in Westminster by persons allegedly acting on behalf of Communist China.
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Beijing's Interest in British Affairs
Britain and China have been involved in a long history of tensions, which could be traced back to the Opium Wars of 1839 to 1842 and the handover of the former colony of Hong Kong in 1997. According to the Associated Press, the tension between the two countries has resurfaced in recent years over accusations of economic subterfuge, human rights abuses, and Beijing's crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong.
However, the Conservatives are torn on how toughly they would have to tackle China and how much access Chinese firms should have to the British economy. While Sunak and his team referred to China's growing power as a challenge, several Tory MPs sought to declare China as a threat to the UK.
Former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith said news of the March arrests and how they were handled exposed the government's attempt not to see China as a systematic threat.
British intelligence authorities said China posed a threat as an adversary of the UK. Back in November, MI5 chief Ken McCallum said the activities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) posed what he called the most game-changing strategic challenge to the country. On the other hand, MI6 head Richard Moore said last July that China was his agency's single most important strategic focus.
As early as January 2022, the MI5 issued a public alert, saying a certain London-based lawyer named Christine Lee was trying to covertly interfere with British politics on behalf of the CCP's United Front Work Department, an organization known to exert Chinese influence abroad.
It was alleged that opposition Labour Party lawmaker Barry Gardiner received over GBP 500,000 ($685,000) from Lee between 2015 and 2020, mostly for office costs. She also worked at placing her son at Gardiner's office.
Both Lee and Beijing denied any of the allegations.
Aside from the UK, other Commonwealth countries, notably Australia and Canada, have also seen recent claims of Chinese espionage or political interference, which officials in Beijing also denied.
