Palace of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament in the UK. EPA Yonhap News. 

Britain's domestic intelligence agency, MI5, has warned members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords about the risks of Chinese espionage activities, the BBC and the Daily Telegraph reported on January 18 (local time).

Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, and John McFall, Speaker of the House of Lords, conveyed this warning to parliamentarians, stating, "China is making persistent attempts to interfere in our activities and procedures in Parliament."

Hoyle's message included details such as, "(The Chinese Ministry of State Security) is actively trying to contact individuals in our community and is attempting to gather information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships by utilizing professional networking sites and recruitment and consulting contacts."

MI5 presented cases where individuals posed as consulting contacts who write geopolitical reports or private recruitment headhunters to approach British political figures and attempt to extract confidential and internal information.

Hoyle added, "MI5 has issued this warning because these activities are specifically targeted and are gradually spreading."

Recently in the UK, the arrest and subsequent non-prosecution of a former parliamentary researcher on suspicion of Chinese espionage has heightened vigilance against Chinese espionage within political circles.

Yonhap News