China authorities detained MI6 Britain’s foreign intelligence service spy

• Chinese authorities claim to have detained an individual accused of spying for Britain’s MI6.
• The UK government has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
• China has been cracking down on foreign business consultants operating in the country.

Chinese authorities claim to have detained an individual accused of spying for Britain’s foreign intelligence service, MI6. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) in China stated on the WeChat social network that the alleged spy, identified as “Huang” from a third country, was attempting to gather information within the country.

The British government has not yet provided any comments on the accusations, while the MSS disclosed that they have arranged consular visits following the arrest, without specifying the country of origin.

China has been actively publicizing cases of alleged espionage by Western nations, with a focus on the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in previous instances. Accusing Britain’s MI6 is considered more unusual. Beijing has initiated public campaigns to raise awareness about foreign spying, urging people to report any suspicious activities.

The MSS states that MI6 recruited the alleged spy in 2015 to establish an “intelligence cooperation relationship.” Subsequently, MI6 purportedly instructed the individual to visit China on multiple occasions, using their job as a cover to collect intelligence and recruit other individuals.

The MSS claimed that the detained individual had received professional intelligence training in the UK and other locations, along with being equipped with specialist spy equipment for communication. The BBC has been unable to independently verify these claims, and the UK government, following its policy on intelligence issues, has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.

According to the statement, the detained person, identified as the head of an overseas consulting agency, had allegedly provided MI6 with nine pieces of information considered secret, five considered confidential, and three other pieces of intelligence.

The MSS asserts that they recently uncovered the case through a meticulous investigation, which led to the enforcement of criminal measures under the law.

China has been cracking down on foreign business consultants operating in the country, accusing some firms of attempting to obtain sensitive information related to national security. Reports of raids, visits, and arrests linked to companies like the US consulting firm Bain & Company have prompted changes in the operations of some companies in China. Additionally, a new anti-espionage law, effective in July of the previous year, expanded the scope of covered information and prosecutable activities.

While the US has regularly accused China of spying and stealing business secrets, the UK has become more vocal about Chinese intelligence activities. In October, Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, the UK’s domestic security service, highlighted a “pretty epic” campaign of Chinese espionage.

Speaking at an event in the US focused on concerns over China, McCallum revealed that Chinese spies have covertly approached more than 20,000 people in the UK online.

MI5 also accused China of attempting to interfere in parliament and political life, issuing an “interference alert” two years ago.

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