British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said this Sunday (10) in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, during the G20 meeting, that he “is concerned about Chinese interference in UK democracy” following the detention of a parliamentary advisor in the country, which took place in March this year and was announced last week.
The man worked at the Westminster Parliament and was detained in Edinburgh, Scotland, for alleged espionage on behalf of Beijing, for failing to comply with the Official Secrets Act. He was released after posting bail.
According to information from the newspaper The Sunday Timesthe accused maintained a close relationship with important MPs from the Conservative Party and ministers from the British government, including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, the lower house of parliament.
The detainee’s basic information was not revealed, but he was active in international politics between the United Kingdom and China, including residing in the Asian country. Now, the case remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police, through the Anti-Terrorism Command.
This Monday (11), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning condemned the accusations made by the British Prime Minister. “The allegation that China spies on the UK is baseless and China vehemently rejects it,” he said.
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