Chinese spies pose UK threat 'every day', MI5 chief says

Director General of MI5 Sir Ken McCallum delivers the annual Director General’s Speech at Thames House, the headquarters of the UK’s Security Service in London (Jonathan Brady/PA) Jonathan Brady

MI5 conducted an operation against a Chinese threat within the past week, according to the service's director general Sir Ken McCallum. He stated that Chinese state actors present a national security threat to the UK on a daily basis.

The MI5 chief expressed frustration over the recent collapse of a Westminster espionage trial. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry in September after determining the government's evidence was insufficient.

Sir Ken highlighted multiple ways China threatens UK security, including cyber espionage and covert technology transfer. He also cited efforts to interfere secretly in British public life and the harassment of pro-democracy activists.

Balancing security and diplomacy

The UK must "defend itself resolutely" against Chinese threats while also being positioned to "seize the opportunities" from maintaining relations with Beijing, Sir Ken argued. He emphasised that determining this balance falls to government ministers, informed by expert security advice.

MI5 recently intervened operationally against what Sir Ken confirmed was a "threat which connects back to China". The service continues its work of "preventing, detecting and disrupting activity of national security concern".

Westminster trial setback

Both Cash and Berry deny any wrongdoing in the collapsed espionage case. When asked directly whether China poses a national security threat, Sir Ken replied: "Question one is: do Chinese state actors present a UK national security threat? And the answer is, of course, yes they do, every day."

The MI5 chief acknowledged his frustration when prosecution opportunities for national security threats are not pursued. However, he stressed that the alleged activity was successfully disrupted, describing it as "a strong disruption in the interest of the UK's national security".

Deputy national security adviser Matt Collins, whom Sir Ken praised as having "high integrity", provided evidence describing Beijing's "highly capable" intelligence services conducting "large-scale espionage operations against the UK". Sir Ken noted that Chinese intelligence gathering extends beyond traditional embassy-based spies to encompass various methods of information collection.

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.