UK Issues Espionage Alert As MI5 Flags Chinese Spy Profiles On LinkedIn Targeting British MPs

Last Updated:November 19, 2025, 09:23 IST

MI5 has warned UK lawmakers of suspected Chinese spy profiles on LinkedIn, prompting an official espionage alert across Westminster.

MI5 Warns MPs of Chinese Spies Using Fake LinkedIn Recruiter Profiles

British intelligence agency MI5 has warned its Members of Parliament that Chinese intelligence operatives are using fake “headhunter" profiles on job searching website, LinkedIn to target MPs, parliamentary staff, and officials with access to sensitive information. 

According to briefings shared with lawmakers, the agency has identified at least two online profiles masquerading as legitimate recruiters but allegedly operating on behalf of Chinese intelligence services to cultivate potential sources.

Officials say these operatives approach targets under the guise of career opportunities, seeking to build rapport before gradually soliciting privileged political or governmental information.

What we know about MI5’s anti-espionage strategy?

In response to the alert, Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced a new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan aimed at disrupting foreign intelligence activity, with a particular focus on the threat from China.

Under the plan, intelligence agencies will deliver security briefings to political parties and circulate updated guidance to election candidates on how to recognise and report suspicious approaches. 

The government will also work with professional networking platforms, including LinkedIn, to make it harder for hostile actors to operate anonymously or establish fake recruiter personas.

The strategy includes tightening rules on political donations through measures in the forthcoming Elections Bill, aimed at curbing covert foreign influence efforts. Jarvis described the move as a necessary step to “disrupt and deter foreign espionage activity wherever they find it".

British government’s China policy

Jarvis said, “Today we’ve taken action to expose a covert and calculated attempt by China to interfere with our sovereign affairs. This government’s first duty is to keep the country safe, which is why I’ve announced new action to give security officials the powers and tools they need."

He stressed that while the Kier Starmer government would continue to pursue an economic relationship with China where beneficial, it would “always challenge" Beijing when it threatened Britain’s democratic systems or national security.

Alongside the action plan, the government has reportedly committed substantial investment to strengthen the UK’s security capabilities. This includes £170 million to modernise the encrypted technology used by civil servants and a further £130 million for initiatives such as expanding Counter Terrorism Policing’s enforcement of the Security Act. Additional funds will support the Cyber Security Centre and the Protective Security Authority in helping UK industries safeguard intellectual property.

Jarvis also confirmed that surveillance equipment from companies subject to China’s Intelligence Law has now been removed from all sensitive UK government sites globally.

Meanwhile, the MI5 warning follows the collapse in September of a case against two British men accused of spying for China, after prosecutors concluded they lacked sufficient evidence. Opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of prioritising improved relations with Beijing over national security, an allegation the government firmly denies.

The espionage alert also comes as ministers prepare to decide on approving a large new Chinese embassy in London, a proposal already facing scrutiny amid fears of additional security risks.

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