MI5 had “legitimate reasons” to warn MPs about a lawyer accused of working for the Chinese government, judges have ruled.
The security service warned that it believed Christine Lee had engaged in “political interference and activities” for a branch of the Chinese Communist Party in an alert that came in January 2022 after a series of donations to Labour MP Barry Gardiner.
The ruling was issued as the Government comes under pressure to designate China a security threat after the naming of an alleged Chinese spy with close links to the Duke of York.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has said the UK is “alert” to risks posed by China and it is “better to engage”.
On Tuesday, Ms Lee lost her legal challenge against the security service after three judges at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal said MI5 had issued the warning for “legitimate reasons”.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith suggested the Government has questions to answer about whether Ms Lee should remain in the UK after losing her legal challenge.
He told the PA news agency: “My question would be more to the Government. What are the intelligence services going to do now?
“Either they think that she remains a threat, in which case she shouldn’t be here, or if she is not, then they should be clear about that.”
We are seeing industrialised levels of espionage and infiltration of our state and society at all levels
Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns called on the Government to implement a register of foreign influence swiftly, but said the move would be “by no means the end of the measures we need to better protect our people”.
She said: “The risk from the Chinese Communist Party is plain to see. Why do Labour insist on ignoring it?
“We are seeing industrialised levels of espionage and infiltration of our state and society at all levels.
“We need to see FIRS (Foreign Influence Registration Scheme) implemented in full as soon as possible with China in the enhanced tier.”
Mr Gardiner, MP for Brent West, told the BBC’s Politics Live he had ceased all contact with Ms Lee on the advice of the security services.
He insisted money he received from her had been for the “public good in my office”, and that none of it had come from an illegal source, according to MI5.
London’s relationship with Beijing is back in the spotlight, with Tuesday’s ruling the second court decision in two days to touch on relations between the two.
During a trip to Estonia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK is “alert” to the “risks and challenges” of China, and added: “We do have a strategy of engagement and that means where we co-operate on important issues like climate, we must do so.
“But we must also challenge, and we do on important issues like human rights, with frank discussions as I have had on a number of occasions, and of course compete when it comes to trade.
“But it is better to engage whilst making sure we are clear about the threats and challenges that China poses.”
On Tuesday morning, the Chinese embassy in London warned that the UK should “immediately stop creating trouble” and “stop anti-China political manipulations” after the naming of an alleged Chinese spy with links to the Duke of York.
An embassy spokesperson said “anti-China clamours made by a handful of UK MPs” have “revealed their twisted mentality towards China” and accused them of trying to “smear China” and “undermine normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK”.
Yang Tengbo, who denies wrongdoing, was named on Monday as the individual who has been banned from the UK, and is said to have been a “close” confidant of Andrew.
The statement attributed to an embassy spokesperson and released on the embassy’s website said: “We always believe that a sound and stable China-UK relationship is not a one-sided favour but what meets the common interests of both sides.
“The UK side must have a right perception of China, see the historical trend clearly, and handle its relations with China on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.
“We urge the UK side to immediately stop creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulations, and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK.”
Asked about the statement on Tuesday, Downing Street said the Government is committed to dealing with anyone who poses a threat to Britain.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Where there are individuals who pose a threat to our national security we are absolutely committed to using the full range of powers available to disrupt them.
“We will always take an approach to these things that is rooted in the national interest and put national security and public safety first.”
