Britain’s prime minister ‘appalled’ by reports of espionage in parliament

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday he was “appalled” by reports of Chinese espionage in parliament, saying he will defend the country's democracy and security.

"The whole House is rightly appalled about reports of espionage in this building," Sunak said in the House of Commons, where he was providing an update after returning from the G-20 Summit in New Delhi, India.

"We will defend our democracy and our security," he noted, referring to the arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying for China.

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed over the weekend that two men -- one in his 20s and another in his 30s -- were arrested under the Official Secrets Act in March.

Both men were subsequently released on bail until early October, according to the police.

The Sunday Times first reported the news, saying that one of the men was a parliamentary researcher who has links to several Conservative lawmakers, including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns.

Kearns said she is aware of the report but declined to comment.

"While I recognize the public interest, we all have a duty to ensure any work of the Authorities is not jeopardized," she said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a statement released by his lawyers on Monday, the suspect, whose name was not mentioned, denied the allegations and said he is "completely innocent."

“I have spent my career to date trying to educate others about the challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party. To do what has been claimed against me in extravagant news reporting would be against everything I stand for,” the suspect said in the statement.

- China poses 'systemic challenge'

In parliament, Sunak also pointed out that he told his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang at the G-20 summit that "actions which seek to undermine British democracy are completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated."

China must use its influence to call on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, he added.

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, head of the main opposition Labour Party, defined the incident as "a serious breach of security."

"If, as it seems, the government is not considering designating China as a threat to national security, can he give further details on how they will tackle the infiltration of Chinese security services on key British institutions," he asked Sunak.

In response, Sunak said his government will not accept any interference in the country’s democracy and parliamentary system.

He underlined that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also raised these issues during his recent visit to Beijing.

Earlier on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden stressed that China poses a "systemic challenge."

"It's one of the reasons why I banned TikTok from government devices," he told members of parliament in the House of Commons.

Dowden said that Britain is "clear-eyed" about the challenge, adding "actions speak louder than words."