Government signals action to “disrupt and deter” threats to UK

The UK’s domestic intelligence service named two online profiles that are believed to be legitimate headhunters working for Chinese intelligence officials to build relationships with targets on sites like LinkedIn. Espionage alerts are one of the main tools used to undermine spies’ ability to operate.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis MBE has told MPs that he will co-ordinate a new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying from states like China.

The plan will see the intelligence services deliver security briefings for political parties and issue new guidance to election candidates to help them recognise, resist and report suspicious activity, work with professional networking sites to make them a more hostile operating environment for spies and tighten rules on political donations through a new Elections Bill.  

The Government will continue to take further action against China-based actors involved in malicious cyber activity against the UK and its allies.

Covert and calculated

Jarvis commented: “We’ve taken action to expose a covert and calculated attempt by China to interfere with our sovereign affairs. This Government’s first duty is to keep the country safe, which is why I’ve announced new action to give security officials the powers and tools they need to help disrupt and deter foreign espionage activity wherever they find it.”

Further, Jarvis observed: “As a country with a long and proud history of trading around the world, it’s in our interests to continue to seek an economic relationship with China, but this Government will always challenge countries whenever they undermine our democratic way of life.”

Praising the work of the security services, Jarvis also announced new investment in the tools and capabilities used by officials who work to keep the UK safe. £170 million will be invested in renewing the sovereign and encrypted technology that civil servants use to safeguard sensitive work. A further £130 million will be invested on projects such as building Counter Terrorism Policing’s ability to enforce the National Security Act and fund the National Cyber Security Centre’s and the National Protective Security Authority’s work with critical businesses to protect their Intellectual Property.

Jarvis also informed Parliament that the Government had completed the removal of surveillance equipment manufactured by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China from all sensitive sites the Government operates around the world.

National security

All of this work aligns with the Government’s plan to co-operate with China when it’s in the UK’s national interest to do so, but also challenge China when that nation threatens the UK’s national security.

Earlier this month, the Government introduced the new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to help protect organisations from cyber threats, including those posed by states like China. It follows existing commitments to increase defence spending to what is the highest level since the end of the Cold War.

The National Security Act also affords the Government the power to prosecute those engaging in espionage activity. Offences include obtaining protected information, assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining a ‘material benefit’ from a foreign intelligence service.