China poses ‘daily threat’ to UK, says MI5 chief; Beijing slams accusation
LONDON: China now poses a “daily” threat to Britain, the head of the UK’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 warned on Thursday (Oct 16), accusing Beijing of widespread espionage and interference operations.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said threats from foreign states including China, Russia and Iran had surged. The number of individuals investigated for “state threat activity” rising by 35 per cent in the past year.
Speaking at MI5’s London headquarters, McCallum said agents were regularly uncovering plots involving surveillance, sabotage, arson and physical violence, as well as harassment of dissidents, including pro-democracy activists.
Asked whether China represented a national security threat, he replied: “Do Chinese state actors present a UK national security threat? The answer is, of course, yes they do — every day.”
He also revealed that MI5 had recently foiled a foreign operation linked to China, saying: “We’ve intervened operationally again just in the last week.”
ROW OVER SPYING CASE
The comments followed the collapse of a high-profile espionage case against two men accused of spying for China — a development that has sparked accusations that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government acted to protect relations with Beijing.
Late on Wednesday, the government released three statements submitted to prosecutors supporting the case against the two men.
CHINA REJECTS CLAIMS
Beijing dismissed the allegations as “a total fabrication” and “vile slander.”
“China never interferes in other countries’ internal affairs,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson said, accusing the UK of releasing statements “filled with groundless accusations.”
CYBER-ESPIONAGE ACCUSATIONS
Western allies, including the United States, Britain and New Zealand, have repeatedly accused China of hacking and online surveillance targeting critics and democratic institutions.
In March 2024, the three countries jointly accused Beijing-backed hackers of orchestrating cyberattacks against lawmakers and key institutions. These are charges that China angrily denies.
