Overview
- The alert warns that China’s Ministry of State Security is actively contacting people in the parliamentary community to gather information and cultivate long-term relationships.
- MI5 names two recruiters — Amanda Qiu of BR-YR Executive Search and Shirly Shen of Internship Union — as examples of profiles conducting outreach on behalf of Chinese intelligence.
- Both individuals are said to use LinkedIn to approach targets at scale, with MI5 cautioning that other similar profiles may act as fronts for espionage.
- Sir Lindsay Hoyle circulated the alert, urged colleagues to review Parliamentary Security Department guidance on professional networking risks, and directed reports to TellPSD@parliament.uk, with the Lord Speaker issuing a similar message to the Lords.
- The activity is described as targeted and widespread, and the government is expected to deliver a statement in Parliament at 12:30pm, with coverage noting the warning follows a collapsed China-linked prosecution.