CHINESE SPY ‘SLEEPERS IN COMMONS
MI5 fears agents seeking info on MP computers They play a patient game and love to get assets embedded
MI5 fears Chinese sleeper spies are trying to infiltrate the Commons to get secrets from MPS’ computers.
And our agents decided to expose the activities of Christine Ching Kui Lee in a bid to warn them off.
A source said: “Access to Parliament is everything. With that it’s easy to pop into offices and stick a USB drive into a computer.”
On top of Whitehall secrets MPS may hold, spies could also get details on Chinese dissidents who have been in contact with them.
China has denied interfering in UK politics after MI5 said Chinese embassy lawyer Ms Lee is a Communist Party spy.
Security service teams had been monitoring her as she gave donations to politicians, including £420,000 to Brent North Labour MP Barry Gardiner since 2014.
Her son later became the former Shadow Cabinet minister’s diary manager but left last week when his mother’s activities were revealed.
Blackmail
The source said: “Chinese intelligence play a long and patient game and they love to get assets embedded in the system. Once an MP has accepted a donation there is always the potential for blackmail.”
There is no suggestion Mr Gardiner, 64, fell for that and all the money was properly declared.
He said: “It paid for researchers and none of it was for my personal benefit.” The Chinese Embassy accused MI5 of “smearing” the UK’S Chinese community.
Ms Lee, 58, who has rubbed shoulders with ex-labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, claimed her involvement with Parliament had been to “represent the UK Chinese and increase diversity”.
MI5 said she worked to “cultivate relations with influential figures” including former PMS David Cameron and Theresa May.
MI5 said disrupting her “operation” rather than deporting or prosecuting her would protect the intelligence on how she was caught.
She has left her £1million home in Solihull, West Midlands.
nigel.nelson@people.co.uk