The UK revealed China’s threatening plan to infiltrate its intelligence agencies

2023-07-14 21:19:49

The report generated a strong uproar not only in the UK but among the major Western powers. In the last few hours, the Intelligence and Security Committee of the House of Commons published a report detailing China’s plan to infiltrate its spies in strategic areas and criticizing the lightness of the different governments in putting economic interests first.

“China’s state intelligence apparatus, almost certainly the largest in the world with hundreds of thousands of civilian intelligence officers, is prolifically and aggressively targeting the UK and its interests and presenting a challenge,” the statement said. report published yesterday and that was carried out based on different investigations together with different committees of the British parliament.

Also read: The United States assured that China carries out missions with spy balloons around the world

The document identified the different tools that the Chinese Communist Party used to insert itself into the main spheres of power in the United Kingdom, including the British intelligence agencies. This same strategy, the report warned, could be being used in other Western countries.

In addition, the report exhibits a strong critical tone towards successive British governments that in a certain sense collaborated with the insertion of Chinese intelligence by not addressing existing threats because economic interests took precedence. As in much of the world, the Asian giant exponentially expanded its business and trade with the United Kingdom.

This imbalance between economic interest and national security made China, as understood by the Intelligence Committee, become one of the main threats to British security and places the country “just below the main priority objectives” of Beijing.

The details of China’s strategy

Among the specific examples, the text revealed that China’s investment in the nuclear sector put the UK’s control of electricity at risk. In other words, they warn that if the relationship between the two countries deteriorates, China could aim to gain full control of this system.

Also read: An investigation revealed that China would install a center in Cuba to intercept US communications

In addition, it expresses concern about the Chinese influence in British universities, which have become a “breeding ground” for the Asian giant to expand its cultural influence among teachers and students.

Protests rocked central London (Photo: AP)

Incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sought to disassociate himself from the document, saying the committee took most of the evidence in 2020 and that policies to prevent Chinese penetration in strategic sectors of the UK have been strengthened since then.

The Intelligence and Security Committee of the House of Commons is in charge of supervising the intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, and it took about four years to prepare this 207-page report that warns of China’s interest in sneaking their spies into Western intelligence networks.