A drama unfolding in the UK has led to the arrest of two men under the Official Secrets Act, amidst allegations that a parliamentary researcher spied for China. The researcher, who has had links to several senior Tory MPs, including security minister Tom Tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns, is suspected of working on behalf of Beijing.
Police from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating the case. The two men, one in his 30s and the other in his 20s, were detained on March 13 and held on suspicion of offences under section one of the Official Secrets Act 1911, which punishes actions deemed “prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state”.
The arrests have sent shockwaves through the political sphere, with some senior Conservatives speaking out about the alleged Chinese spying. Tom Tugendhat, security minister, is said not to have had any contact with the researcher since before he became security minister last September. Alicia Kearns, foreign affairs committee chairwoman, declined to comment, citing the need to protect the work of the authorities.
Tom Tugendhat (Via Tom Tugendhat/Twitter)
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China pressure group has expressed outrage at the allegations, stating that it is “appalled at reports of the infiltration of the UK Parliament by someone allegedly acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China”. A source close to Kearns told PA news agency that the Chinese Communist Party would target and undermine Parliament’s leading voices who have demonstrated the ability to constrain the CCP’s ambitions.
The arrests come just over a week after UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Beijing amid criticism from some senior Conservatives, who are critics of China. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith warned of a “deepening threat” being posed by the country under Chinese President Xi Jinping. The report also coincides with a warning from parliament’s spy agency watchdog, the Intelligence and Security Committee, that Beijing is targeting the UK “prolifically and aggressively”.
The investigation is ongoing, and Downing Street has refused to comment on security matters.
