Overview
- A formal MI5 alert circulated by Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle warns that Chinese state actors are using LinkedIn and headhunters to build relationships with parliamentarians and staff.
- The notice names two profiles — Amanda Qiu of BR‑YR Executive Search and Shirly Shen of Internship Union — as conducting large‑scale outreach on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security.
- Targets extend beyond MPs to parliamentary aides, economists, think‑tank researchers, consultants and officials, with MI5 stating China has a low threshold for what it considers valuable information.
- The alert details tradecraft including false personas and cover companies, paid consultancy commissions, all‑expenses‑paid trips to China, and payments for information via cash or cryptocurrency.
- Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced a Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan featuring tougher political‑funding scrutiny, enhanced enforcement and briefings, and a £170m upgrade to encrypted government systems, as Beijing dismissed the allegations as fabricated and the earlier collapse of a China spying case continued to loom over the debate.