According to the newspaper, the researcher was a British man who lived and worked in China. He is said to have influenced British policy towards China for years.
Arrests were made in Oxfordshire and Edinburgh in March. The two men were released on bail and will face espionage charges in October, the Metropolitan Police said.
Former Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith, known for his critical stance towards China, told Times Radio that the country was “deeply infiltrated by the Chinese”. He called for security checks on parliament to be tightened and for the government’s China policy to be reconsidered.
Sunak to Li: “Unacceptable”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in India, which ends after three days on Sunday, said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “expressed his serious concerns on any interference”, the Downing Street seat of government confirmed on Sunday in the UK’s parliamentary democracy”. This is unacceptable”.
The Chinese side only said that Li appealed to Sunak in New Delhi to resolve differences in an orderly manner and respect each other’s fundamental interests and main concerns, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. The report did not address the spying allegations. On the other hand, the extended cooperation between the two countries was well received.
Striving for a thaw
Sunak’s conservative government is trying to thaw relations with China. It cooperates, for example, in the fight against climate change, but remains critical of issues such as human rights. “I think it was right to take the opportunity to get involved and address the concerns specifically, rather than just shouting from the sidelines,” Sunak said.