UK Parliament Faces Security Concerns Amid Chinese Spying Allegations and Diplomatic Moves
Concerns about Chinese espionage targeting UK Parliament and government have come to light amid security service warnings and a high-profile court case collapse.
Conservative councillor Simon Whelband, working for MP Neil O'Brien, reported a suspicious LinkedIn message from an account named Shirly Shen offering a job, which he blocked after notifying Parliament's security services. The message featured poor English, and MI5 issued an alert that two LinkedIn profiles, Amanda Qiu and Shirly Shen, linked to Chinese security services, were targeting British politicians to gather insider insights. MPs and peers were formally warned by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lords Speaker Lord McFall.
This episode reflects wider parliamentary and public unease over China's influence, with debates highlighting specific security risks such as potential kill switches in Chinese-made buses, Chinese military vehicles as listening devices, and a proposed large Chinese embassy near critical City of London data cables.
Last month, the collapse of the trial of two men charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024 further complicated the security landscape. Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were accused of gathering and sharing information prejudicial to UK safety but denied the allegations. The case was dropped in September 2025 when prosecutors could not secure essential government evidence, particularly concerning whether China was designated a national-security threat at the time, as required by a recent legal precedent—a point contested by some legal experts.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, stressed that the decision was evidence-based, while political reactions varied. Downing Street affirmed the CPS's independence, Labour leader Keir Starmer criticised the Conservative government's handling and pointed to past ambivalence on China, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch maintained ministers had recognized China as a threat.
Witness statements described China as the UK's biggest state-based economic threat yet noted a government stance to cooperate with China, with language similar to Labour's 2024 manifesto—a parallel the government denied was deliberate. Allegations emerged that National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell may have influenced evidence, which government officials denied. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy identified serious systemic failures and recommended formal case conferences and clearer inter-agency procedures.
The broader context includes an MI5 alert about Chinese spies targeting UK politicians and a planned yet delayed approval of a new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court near the City of London, now expected in January 2026. Parliamentary China hawks have long warned against naivety toward Beijing, contrasting with Labour's efforts to promote warmer ties, including visits to Beijing by Rachel Reeves and Peter Kyle, amid ongoing scrutiny of China's activities in the UK.
