China criticized the UK, refuting allegations that a UK parliamentary researcher was arrested on charges of espionage for Beijing, labeling the claims as “malicious slander.”
The Sunday Times of the UK revealed that the 28-year-old individual, a former teacher in China, was apprehended in March.
He worked for Alicia Kearns, an MP from the ruling Conservative party who heads the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
The alleged spy is also said to have connections to Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, a Beijing critic and founder of the China Research Group, an assembly of Conservative MPs reassessing the UK’s approach to China.
Several UK MPs, including Tugendhat, faced sanctions from China. Over the weekend, the UK’s Metropolitan Police verified the arrest of two men in March.
One of them was in his 20s for suspected espionage and another in his 30s under the Official Secrets Act. Both have been released on bail until October.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his grave reservations to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the G20 summit in New Delhi regarding Beijing’s alleged meddling in democratic affairs.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London, however, said the reports were “malicious slanderers”.
“The claim that China is suspected of ‘stealing British intelligence’ is completely fabricated and nothing but malicious slander,” the spokesperson said.
“We firmly oppose it and urge relevant parties in the UK to stop their anti-China political manipulation and stop putting on such self-staged political farce.”
Kearns, who is also in the China Research Group, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was aware of the allegations and would not be commenting.
