China: National Security Response

Yesterday, MI5, alongside our Five Eyes allies, issued an intelligence bulletin to warn that China’s military intelligence is targeting Five Eyes Government and military personnel to gain access to sensitive or privileged information.

The bulletin reveals that Chinese military intelligence is using online job platforms to cultivate long-term relationships with a range of Five Eyes nationals. This includes posing as employees of private consultancies, think tanks or HR firms, and placing online job advertisements for foreign policy and defence analysts.

This bulletin once again highlights the exceptional work of our intelligence and security services and the strength of our enduring Five Eyes partnership. It is through their joint efforts that we are able to keep our people safe.

I encourage everyone to read and digest the separate “Applicant Beware” guidance from the National Protective Security Authority on spotting the signs of online targeting. Doing so will ensure that people do not inadvertently become targets of China’s efforts. The disclosure of certain types of data can place the lives of frontline military personnel at risk, can weaken our economic prosperity, and enable interference in our democratic processes.

We have always been clear that we will engage with China on areas of mutual benefit, including developing a positive economic relationship. However, we have also been clear that China poses security threats to the UK. The Government will continue to tackle activity that infringes on our national security and sovereign affairs and raise our defences.

The Government are undertaking a range of work to further secure the UK from state threats activity. This includes:

The continued delivery of our counter-political interference and espionage action plan;

£170 million invested in renewing the sovereign and encrypted technology that civil servants use to protect sensitive work;

The removal of surveillance equipment manufactured by companies subject to the national intelligence law of the People’s Republic of China from all sensitives sites that the Government operate around the world;

Ongoing support to the higher education and research sector to address national security risks to international collaboration through the research collaboration and advice team;

Bolstering efforts to support universities to identify and combat foreign interference, supported by additional investment of £3 million over the next three years; and

Delivery of a £210 million backed Government cyber action plan, which aims to increase the cyber resilience of UK Government systems and to ensure that the UK is a hard operating environment for any threat actor.

We have recently seen the first National Security Act prosecutions in relation to China on May 7. This continues to demonstrate that those who break our laws will face prosecution.

The Government will continue to update Parliament as we take the necessary action to protect our national security.

[HCWS90]