As if it were a spy movie, the United Kingdom is shocked by the recent revelation of an alleged Chinese agent operating at the heart of British power in the Palace of Westminster, the seat of Parliament.
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This intriguing episode, which has unleashed diplomatic and political tensions, has all the ingredients of an international thriller: a parliamentary investigator, senior conservative officials, espionage accusations and a battle of words between two superpowers.
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The plot takes place in the dark and historic corridors of Westminster, a building dating back to the 11th century that has been the residence of kings, a nest of plots, fires and even reconstructions. But since 1840 it is from where the strings of British politics have moved.
There, political secrets have become intertwined with the decisions that shape an entire nation and today is the perfect setting for the mysterious espionage game that today has British politics in suspense.
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The protagonist is a man with an athletic build, 28 years old, blue eyes and coming from one of the most elite English schools.who spent two years teaching English literature at an international school near Shanghai, China.
Although British authorities have not officially given his name, the British press has identified him as Chris Cash, a researcher who worked in Parliament for ministers from the ruling Conservative Party.
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Those who know him describe him as charismatic and intelligent, characteristics that would have allowed him to move nimbly in a circle of power that includes the Minister of Security, Tom Tugendhat, and the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns.
Cash is even reported to have accompanied a Conservative MP to meet Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart earlier this year to discuss the lawmaker’s proposed amendments to the Procurement Bill, which was designed to tighten UK policy towards China.
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The intrepid spy story begins with the accusation that Cash was recruited as a sleeper agent while living and working in China. After a period of infiltration, he was sent back to the UK with a seemingly clear mission: to infiltrate British political networks that are critical of the Chinese government.
Although Cash’s relationship with these politicians is still a matter of investigation, His arrest in March – but which became known only a few weeks ago – sent shockwaves through Westminster.
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not hesitate to express his “significant concerns about Chinese interference in the UK’s parliamentary democracy” during a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang at the G20 summit.
The MI5 anti-terrorist police were in charge of carrying out the arrest of Cash and another suspect, both under alleged crimes related to espionage.
On this, in fact, it is expected that there will be a judicial ruling in October.
Cash himself defended his innocence against the accusations against him, in a statement through his lawyers. “Given what has been reported, it is vital that it is known that I am completely innocent. To date I have spent my career trying to educate others about the challenge and threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
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He is apparently being investigated because he used his influence in Conservative Party circles to soften criticism of China., while discrediting others. It was also reported that she exchanged sensitive data with Beijing, although it apparently was not material classified as secret.
The Chris Cash Mystery
But the story takes an even more disturbing turn. There British officials enter the scene who would have been involved in this espionage network and Cash would be the visible head.
His arrest sparked an uproar in Westminster, as It is considered one of the most serious security breaches in UK history.
Given these allegations, China has flatly denied any involvement in an espionage plan involving Chris Cash and other British officials. The Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom has called these accusations “malicious slander.” The situation, in any case, has generated an increase in diplomatic tension between London and Beijing.
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Some light on the figure of Chris Cash was shed by journalist Cindy Yu, assistant editor of the weekly magazine The Spectator and host of the Chinese Whispers podcast.
Cindy grew up in Nanjing, a Chinese city, located 300 kilometers from Shanghai. “I got to know him on a professional level, but from time to time we would have a drink together or hang out at a friend’s apartment. Only when I saw the reports of his arrest did I realize that I hadn’t heard from him since one night six months ago when we joined together to play ‘Codenames,’ the board game in which rival spymasters race to meet each other. their agents. “We destroyed the other team,” the journalist recalls.
Cash, who previously headed the China Research Group, a body focused on British policy towards the Asian giant, had access to sensitive information. However, it is unclear to what extent he was able to influence the UK’s foreign affairs.
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LinkedIn, the weaver of contacts
This espionage case would have begun with the unusual strategy of a Chinese spy who used LinkedIn to build a network of contacts with British officials, luring them into a dark world of state secrets.
According to reports from the prestigious British newspaper Sunday Times, This spy, allegedly linked to the Ministry of State Security in Beijing, operated under multiple false identities over five years. The most notable of his aliases was “Robin Zhang.”.
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During that period, Zhang allegedly engaged in offering business opportunities to British and other officials in order to obtain confidential information. He spared no resources, even offering sums of up to £8,000 (a little less than 39 million Colombian pesos) to a recruitment consultant every time he provided him with data on someone who worked for the intelligence services.
The Chinese state was “carrying out an espionage attack against the United Kingdom unlike any other undertaken by Western governments.
But the espionage did not stop at simple financial transactions. Zhang also allegedly enticed his targets with trips to China and paid speaking engagements. Some of them were asked to hand over reports that Zhang would then use to blackmail them further, pressuring them to provide even more sensitive documents. These tactics, according to a report by the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee on China, could include “honey traps”, where attempts are made to trap victims in compromising situations.
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According to historian and national security expert Calder Walton, the Chinese state was “carrying out an espionage attack against the United Kingdom unlike any other undertaken by Western governments. “It is broad, deep and fast-paced, spanning multiple domains and beyond the realm of acceptable statecraft.”
In a newspaper article The TimesWalton claims that The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses its intelligence services differently from the West. According to the historian, the Chinese strategy goes beyond independent political or judicial supervision or the press.
The Asian giant tries to “leverage every part of its government and society to steal foreign secrets, influence governments and potentially sabotage them digitally. “China’s intelligence services target Western parliaments and policymakers and steal passwords, fusing human intelligence and cyber capabilities,” Walton says.
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According to this, China’s clandestine services, such as the Ministry of State Security, are on the front line of Beijing’s grand strategy: to keep the Chinese Communist Party in power and make China the world’s leading self-sufficient military and economic power. . The goal is to reverse the technological landscape so that other countries depend on Chinese, not Western, technology. Allegations that are rejected by the Chinese authority.
For the British, this incident is an unprecedented challenge that has exposed the fragility of security at the heart of British power. As investigations continue and accusations fly, one thing is certain: the enigma of Chris Cash and his role in the spy and politics game at Westminster will continue to be a topic of debate and concern in the United Kingdom and will further strain relations between Beijing and the Westerners.
María Victoria Cristancho
For the time
London
On Twitter: @mavicristancho
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