Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, U.K. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the latest assessment showed how China “is attempting to recruit and cultivate individuals with access to sensitive information about parliament and the U.K. government.”
He said such work is being carried by a group of Chinese intelligence officers “often masked through the use of cover companies or external headhunters.”
“China has a low threshold for what information is considered to be of value, and will gather individual pieces of information to build a wider picture,” he warned in a House of Commons statement.
A Chinese Embassy spokesperson branded the claims “pure fabrication and malicious slander,” “despicable,” and part of a “self-staged charade of false accusations and self-aggrandisement.”
‘Covert and calculated’
In a bid to get on the front foot over the issue, Jarvis on Tuesday announced a new “counter political interference and espionage action plan.” Measures include tougher risk assessment rules for recipients of donations, and enhanced enforcement powers for the Electoral Commission, the U.K.’s elections watchdog.
Security campaigns led by the U.K. parliamentary authorities will also take place, including tailored briefings for Britain’s devolved governments, political parties, and all candidates taking part in devolved and local elections next May.