MI5 Warns UK Lawmakers: Chinese Spies Are Masquerading as Headhunters

Britain’s domestic intelligence agency has issued a fresh alert to lawmakers, warning that Chinese operatives are posing as headhunters on LinkedIn and using other recruitment-style tactics to penetrate Parliament, government circles, and universities.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the House of Commons on Tuesday that MI5 had circulated an “espionage alert” warning that Chinese actors are actively cultivating individuals with access to sensitive political information. Two specific LinkedIn accounts were flagged for “conduct[ing] outreach at scale on behalf” of the Chinese government.

“Our intelligence agencies have warned that China is attempting to recruit and cultivate individuals with access to sensitive information about Parliament and the UK government,” Jarvis said.

This is not the first red flag. Back in October, MI5 revealed that Chinese intelligence units had posted thousands of fake job listings, from consultancy roles to research posts, to lure British professionals into leaking information.

Beijing denied everything within hours.

“We urge the UK side to immediately stop this self-staged charade of false accusations and self-aggrandisement,” a spokesperson at China’s embassy in London said, adding that China had filed “stern representations” to the UK government. Beijing accused London of sabotaging bilateral relations for its own political theatre.

Jarvis warned that British universities face similar infiltration attempts, with Chinese-linked groups trying to influence research agendas and campus activity. The government plans to brief university leaders in private on how to spot and counter foreign interference.

The latest warning comes just months after UK prosecutors dropped a high-profile espionage case against two British men accused of spying for China. The case collapsed when the government failed to provide evidence showing Beijing posed a threat to UK national security, a detail that continues to haunt the political narrative.