BBC Journalist Investigated Over China Spy Claims
A BBC journalist is reportedly under investigation by the UK’s security services over alleged links to Chinese espionage, according to sources.
The Mail on Sunday claims the journalist is suspected of cultivating potential targets for a hostile state while previously working in Brussels for another media outlet. The individual remains employed by the BBC, which declined to comment.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel has called for a swift conclusion to the inquiry, stressing the need to determine whether the broadcaster was “actively undermining the security of the country.” She added: “China is a threat to Britain and anyone attempting to undermine the security of our country and the security organisations which keep us and our allies safe must be fully investigated.”
Sources allege that the journalist, before joining the BBC, approached senior figures within international organisations, targeting individuals with access to sensitive military intelligence and potentially attempting to “honeytrap” officials.
The claims suggest three security agencies are examining alleged “sexual overtures” made to high-level figures, while investigators continue to assess whether any sensitive information about Western security services may have been passed to China.
The investigation, reportedly known to the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, including MI5, is said to be exploring the full extent of any potential impact on national security. Insiders claim the journalist may have gained far deeper access to sensitive information than initially assumed.
After leaving Brussels, the journalist joined the BBC. The corporation has not responded to requests for comment.
The probe comes amid warnings from deputy national security adviser Matt Collins, who last month said China’s intelligence services were engaged in “large-scale espionage” against the UK, while emphasising the government’s aim to maintain a “positive relationship” with Beijing.
Mr Collins previously provided three witness statements to the Crown Prosecution Service, contributing to the collapse of the China spy case, after which the evidence was deemed insufficient to prove a threat to national security.
The Conservative Party has pressed ministers over the handling of the trial of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, both former parliamentary researchers accused of passing secrets to China. Charges against the pair were dropped last month, and they deny any wrongdoing.
