Report: UK Parliament Researcher Arrested on Suspicion of Espionage for China

A parliamentary researcher in the UK, believed to have connections to senior MPs, has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the Chinese government. The suspect, a British man in his late twenties who had previously studied and worked in China, was arrested and released on bail in March. The individual had links with senior Conservative MPs and had influenced UK China policy. Another man in his thirties was also arrested and released on bail in connection with the investigation. The arrests were made under the Official Secrets Act, 1911. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised concerns about interference in parliamentary democracy during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in New Delhi. The researcher had reportedly worked closely with MPs for several years on foreign policy, including relations with China. Security officials suspect that the individual may have been recruited as a sleeper agent by the Chinese regime while he was in China. Luke de Pulford, Executive Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, confirmed suspicions of attempts to smear MPs critical of China and labeled them as extreme on China policy. The investigation is ongoing, and further enquiries are being conducted by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.



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