Ex-MPs have to be ‘exceptionally cautious’ about Chinese recruitment, minister says
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ormer MPs, civil servants and army personnel mustn’t work with Chinese firms, a Government minister has stated as he warned concerning the “threat” Beijing poses to the UK.
It comes after a Government report stated Chinese recruitment schemes have tried to “headhunt” British nationals in “key positions with sensitive knowledge and experience” as a part of Beijing’s espionage operation.
Ministers had been responding on Thursday to a landmark report on China by Parliament’s spy company watchdog, which warned that Chinese intelligence targets the UK “prolifically and aggressively”.
They’re clearly … trying to inveigle themselves into public life
Home Office minister Chris Philp on Friday advised Times Radio: “I think China does pose a threat.
“They’re obviously engaging – not just in the UK but across many countries in the West – a systematic campaign of intellectual property theft and attempting to inveigle themselves into public life. It is of concern, a huge concern, both here and elsewhere.”
He stated ministers have taken steps to guard UK pursuits, corresponding to eradicating Huawei tools from the telecommunications community.
Mr Philp added: “I think we need to be extremely vigilant and I think individuals who have worked in the public sector, whether a civil servant, in the military, or frankly people who have been involved in politics as well, need to be, I would say to put it mildly, exceptionally cautious, and frankly should not really, in my view, be working with sort of organs of the Chinese state after they leave public service.”
The Intelligence and Security Committee stated in its July report that Beijing has sought to rent former political figures into profitable roles in Chinese firms in its efforts to strengthen its affect, the ICS report discovered, even pointing to a “revolving door between the Government and certain Chinese companies”.
In their response, ministers stated: “The Government recognises that Chinese recruitment schemes have tried to headhunt British and allied nationals in key positions and with sensitive knowledge and experience, including from Government, military, industry and wider society.
“As the committee notes, there is more work to be done.”
Downing Street insisted there have been “significant rules and protections in place when it comes to individuals in sensitive roles”.
The report outlined proposals to make former senior army personnel signal non-disclosure agreements.
The Government has additionally launched an app for civil servants to recognise faux profiles together with from Chinese intelligence providers on social media and networking websites corresponding to LinkedIn.
Some 25,000 customers reported suspicious approaches in a 12 months, ministers stated.
Rishi Sunak has confronted stress to toughen his stance in the direction of Beijing after the arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying for China, who maintains he’s fully harmless.
It additionally emerged this week that the Conservative Party dropped two potential candidates to grow to be MPs after MI5 warned they could possibly be Chinese spies.
The Prime Minister has riled some China “hawks” on the Tory benches by describing China as an “epoch-defining challenge” as a substitute of the stronger time period “threat” he used throughout final 12 months’s Tory management contest.
In his response to the ICS report, Mr Sunak stated he was “acutely aware” of the “threat to our open and democratic way of life” posed by Beijing.