MI5 warns UK lawmakers of Chinese espionage recruitment via financial incentives

MI5 has warned MPs and peers that Chinese intelligence agents are attempting to recruit staff, friends, and connections using “large financial incentives.”

The intelligence service named two “headhunters” allegedly used by the Chinese Ministry of State Security to target individuals “one step away” from high-priority targets.

Those contacted include advisers to former Conservative ministers (including a former Chancellor), advisers to Labour ministers, officials, and several individuals working in think tanks, including the Tony Blair Institute.

MI5 warned lawmakers that Chinese security services are attempting to “cultivate” individuals close to them, advising them to remain vigilant against “unusual questions from colleagues or networks” that could indicate a person is gathering information.

It stated that China offers “large financial incentives for seemingly low-level information in order to build a relationship and encourage the target to access more non-public sensitive information.”

MI5 added that lawmakers must be alert to requests for “off the record,” “sensitive,” and “insider information.”

In a letter to lawmakers, House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle stated that it is “extremely important” for everyone working in parliament to understand “how this activity takes place and how we can protect ourselves from it.”

Hoyle added that Chinese state actors are working “relentlessly” to “interfere with our processes and influence activities in parliament.”

The espionage warning follows the dismissal of the case in September against two British citizens accused of spying for China: 30-year-old Christopher Cash and 33-year-old Christopher Berry.

Berry claimed he was gathering information on behalf of a Chinese company seeking to “build commercial ties with the UK.”

It was alleged that Berry used Cash, who worked as a parliamentary researcher for a hawkish “anti-China” lawmaker group, to provide him with information that was transferred to Beijing. Both men denied the charges.

In a security notice sent to lawmakers, MI5 named two individuals suspected of being recruitment agents for Chinese security services.

Amanda Qiu, general manager of BR-YR Executive Search, and Shirly Shen, co-founder of Internship Union, are known to use LinkedIn for “widespread outreach activities.”

Among those targeted is a staff member employed by lawmaker Neil O’Brien, Kemi Badenoch’s policy chief. This individual had previously been officially sanctioned by Beijing for criticizing China.

An employee of O’Brien was contacted by Shen via LinkedIn three months ago with a message in broken English.

The message read: “Hello, my name is Shirly, I am a global headhunter. A globally recognized fund association is looking for a remote consultant to cooperate. We are lucky to see your LinkedIn profile, we saw you are a very excellent candidate. We look forward to cooperating with you. If interested, please contact me!”

James Price, a former Conservative special adviser who worked for Nadhim Zahawi during his tenure as Chancellor, was also targeted by Shen, who claimed to be a professional headhunter seeking to offer “rewarding full-time/part-time opportunities to worldwide talents.”