Head of MI5 Raises Alarm on Advanced Threats from Chinese Communist Party and Other Autocratic Regimes
Threats from authoritarian regimes—specifically Russia, Iran, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—have led to a 48 percent rise in state threat investigations, according to McCallum.
Each regime extends repression at home to aggression abroad, investing heavily in human intelligence capabilities and advanced cyber operations. Their targets include sensitive government information, technology, democracy, journalists, and human rights advocates.
McCallum highlighted China as the most intricate relationship of the three due to the UK’s recognition of the CCP as a threat while maintaining business ties with China.
The UK-China economic partnership supports UK growth, contributing to security. However, there are risks that need to be managed, requiring strategic decisions from Ministers on collaborating with China safely.
MI5’s efforts in countering the CCP threat involve thwarting attempts to harm or pressure individuals, particularly of Chinese descent, combating CCP-sponsored cyberattacks and information theft, and addressing threats against democracy.
Disrupting these operations must be accompanied by educating businesses, universities, and other entities on engaging with China while mitigating risks.
The UK and EU have a straightforward relationship with other regimes.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 750 Russian diplomats were expelled from Europe, most of whom were spies, according to McCallum. They also continue to reject visa applications from Russian spies.
Expelling and preventing the entry of Russian spies has proven effective, though not glamorous, McCallum noted.
MI5 has also identified and disrupted proxies utilized by Russian intelligence agencies, lacking professional training and diplomatic immunity.
In the case of Iran, aggression in the UK has escalated amid conflicts in the Middle East.
Law enforcement has addressed 20 “Iran-backed schemes posing potentially deadly risks to British citizens and residents” since January 2022, often involving criminal intermediaries ranging from drug traffickers to minor offenders.
McCallum likened this recruitment process to online radicalizers engaging potential terrorists, warning of severe consequences for those involved in illicit activities supported by states like Iran or Russia.
Terrorism Evolves
Terrorism has evolved to encompass a diverse array of beliefs and ideologies, McCallum emphasized.
The current landscape features more volatile individuals with vague ties to the ideologies they claim to follow, lacking extensive connections to other terrorists compared to the past.
There has been a notable increase in under-18 individuals engaging in terrorism, comprising 13 percent of those investigated due to online radicalization.
The online activities of these individuals facilitate tracking, but distinguishing between talk and actual threats remains a complex task.
McCallum stressed the critical role of the online realm in enabling contemporary threats.