MI5 issues Chinese agent 'interference alert' to British MPs

Britain's spy agency, MI5 has warned lawmakers that a woman linked to the Chinese Communist Party has been working to influence the country's political process by establishing links with Parliamentarians.

MI5 issued an "interference alert" that Christine Ching Kui Lee has "acted covertly in coordination" with the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is "judged to be involved in political interference activities in the UK."

Ian Duncan Smith, a senior British lawmaker and former leader of the ruling Conservative Party, raised the alarm in Parliament on January 13. He said that the MI5 had warned House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle that an "agent of the Chinese government" has been actively working to "subvert" the processes of Parliament.

The agency also highlighted that Lee has been facilitating "financial donations to political parties, Parliamentarians, aspiring Parliamentarians and individuals seeking political office in the UK, including facilitating donations to political entities on behalf of foreign nationals."
It is worth mentioning that the UK Company Register lists Lee as a British citizen.

Lee's UK-based activities are "to represent the UK Chinese community and increase diversity." According to reports, those activities have "been undertaken in covert coordination with the UFWD, with funding provided by foreign nationals located in China and Hong Kong."

(ANI)