MI5 has warned MPs and parliamentary staff that Chinese intelligence officers may be posing as headhunters or operating through cover companies to recruit people with access to sensitive information. The Chinese embassy dismissed the claims as "fabrication," while UK ministers say the alert is part of broader measures — from political funding checks to university briefings and cyber defenses — aimed at disrupting covert influence. The warning follows the dropped prosecution of two men accused of spying and precedes a decision on a proposed new Chinese embassy in London.
MI5 Warns MPs That Chinese 'Headhunters' May Be Recruiting Inside Parliament
MI5 has warned MPs and parliamentary staff that Chinese intelligence officers may be posing as headhunters or operating through cover companies to recruit people with access to sensitive information. The Chinese embassy dismissed the claims as "fabrication," while UK ministers say the alert is part of broader measures — from political funding checks to university briefings and cyber defenses — aimed at disrupting covert influence. The warning follows the dropped prosecution of two men accused of spying and precedes a decision on a proposed new Chinese embassy in London.
04:53 PM, 11/19/2025Security
MI5 has issued an espionage alert to MPs and parliamentary staff warning that Chinese intelligence officers may be operating under the cover of external recruiters or headhunting firms to cultivate contacts with access to sensitive information.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the House of Commons that MI5 believes some efforts involve "Chinese intelligence officers, often masked through the use of cover companies or external headhunters," and that the agency has identified two online profiles suspected of being used to build relationships with targets on platforms such as LinkedIn. The alert was circulated to disrupt that activity and to raise awareness among parliamentary staff and elected officials.
A spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in London strongly denied the claims, calling them "pure fabrication and malicious slander" and saying Beijing had made "stern representations" to the UK government. The embassy urged the UK to stop what it described as false accusations that damage China–UK relations.
The warning comes amid wider concern about Beijing's activities in the UK following the collapse of a politically sensitive prosecution in which two men were accused of spying. One defendant was a parliamentary researcher; prosecutors later dropped the case, prompting frustration from MPs and MI5, and denials from Beijing concerning those allegations.
Jarvis set out several measures intended to "disrupt and deter" threats from hostile states, including:
- tighter scrutiny of political funding;
- security briefings for political parties and parliamentary staff;
- engagement with universities about protecting independent research and campus activity; and
- stronger action on cyber threats, including countering state-backed hacking campaigns.
Ministers will hold a closed meeting with university leaders to discuss risks to research and campus safety. The government also faces a pending decision on a controversial planning application by Beijing to build a new, larger embassy in London, a matter that has attracted local opposition and raised political sensitivities about balancing security and diplomatic ties.
Western governments have long accused China of using espionage to acquire technological and strategic information and of supporting hacking groups that target critics abroad. The MI5 alert reflects ongoing concerns about covert influence and recruitment tactics aimed at democratic institutions.