London [UK], October 26 : Chinese regime-linked influence operations are threatening the United Kingdom’s democratic institutions, academia and legal sovereignty, prompting London to strengthen its security measures, according to a report by The Epoch Times (TET), which cited Taiwanese analysts.
Lin Tzuli, director of the Center for Mainland China and Regional Development Research at Taiwan’s Tunghai University, told TET that British politicians and security officials increasingly viewed Chinese infiltration as a serious threat to the country’s democratic foundations.
The concerns intensified after the Chinese Embassy in London said in an October 20 post on WeChat that UK border officers had subjected several Chinese travellers to extended questioning and seized their electronic devices. Those questioned reportedly included trade delegation members, tourists and people visiting relatives. Beijing expressed “serious concern” and lodged formal representations with London, TET reported.
The checks were conducted under the UK’s Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which allows authorities to stop, question, search and detain individuals to determine whether they are engaged in hostile activities on behalf of a foreign state.
Ken McCallum, director general of MI5, warned in his October 13 annual threat update that various arms of the Chinese state were conducting “espionage, coercion or democratic interference” against the UK.
Lin told TET that Chinese intelligence agencies had allegedly used consulting firms, overseas offices and academics as cover for their activities. He described such tactics as “textbook gray-zone operations”, involving hostile activities that fall short of open conflict.
On September 30, MI5 issued an alert highlighting risks after more than 100 UK-linked academics, some potentially unknowingly, worked on research funded by an institute that channels money from China’s Ministry of State Security, TET reported.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) reported on October 14 that Chinese cyberespionage operations targeting the UK increased by 150 per cent in 2024. The attacks targeted finance, media, manufacturing and infrastructure. Beijing-linked actors also breached the UK Electoral Commission’s systems between 2021 and 2022 and conducted reconnaissance on members of Parliament, according to the report cited by TET.
Shen Ming-shih, a research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, also cited the case of solicitor Christine Lee, whom MI5 identified in 2022 as a suspected agent involved in political interference on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. A tribunal dismissed her legal challenge against the agency in December 2024.
Shen further alleged that unauthorised Chinese overseas police stations had operated in the UK to intimidate dissidents, challenging British judicial sovereignty and internal security.
Analysts warned that the escalating tensions could prompt Beijing to retaliate against British nationals through lengthy border checks, device seizures, detention or trade restrictions. British exports, including Scotch whisky, salmon and chemicals, could face tighter inspections or import bans, while companies could encounter restrictions on rare earths and green energy supply chains.
Shen warned that the worsening dispute could undermine efforts to maintain trade relations while protecting national security, potentially accelerating a separation between the two countries in trade, education and academia, TET reported.