On Wednesday, March 4th, multiple British media outlets reported that three men were arrested on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities for the Chinese Communist Party, with one of them being a partner of a Labour Party member.
The London Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the three men, aged 39, 43, and 68, were arrested in London and Wales as part of a counter-terrorism investigation under the National Security Law.
It is reported that the police searched the residences of the three arrested men, who are currently in custody.
As part of the investigation, searches were also carried out at three locations in London, East Kilbride, and Cardiff.
Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism at the London Metropolitan Police, stated, “In recent years, the number of national security-related cases we have dealt with has significantly increased, and we will continue to closely cooperate with partners to ensure national security and take action to stop malicious activities when suspicious activities are detected.”
She added that the investigation is ongoing.
The police statement said, “Today’s arrests are part of proactive investigations. Although the nature of these cases is serious, we do not believe there is an imminent direct threat to the public.”
The police mentioned that this investigation is related to Chinese espionage activities and further added that the Welsh and Scottish counter-terrorism police departments were also involved in the arrests.
Reports from The Telegraph and Politics UK mentioned that Joani Reid, a Labour Party female member of parliament, had her partner, David Taylor, arrested for suspected espionage activities on behalf of Beijing.
Reid was elected as the MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven constituency in July 2024 and is currently a member of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee.
Born in 1986, Taylor is the project director at Asia House think tank, which aims to promote exchange and cooperation between Asia and Europe. He has worked as a lobbyist for an energy company and served as a government special advisor on Welsh affairs during the previous New Labour government.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also reported the arrest of the partner of the Labour Party member on suspicion of engaging in Chinese espionage activities.
Home Secretary Dan Jarvis confirmed in the House of Commons on Wednesday that the above arrests were “related to foreign interference in British democracy.”
He said, “We remain deeply concerned about increasing covert activities connected with the Chinese government targeting British democracy.”
“This includes attempts to obtain British policy-making information and interfere in our sovereign affairs,” he added.
Jarvis also informed the MPs that “engaging with China continues to serve our long-term strategic interests,” but he further noted, “This is not a matter of balancing economic and security considerations.”
He stated that the government will introduce a new scheme to help British think tanks and non-profit organizations identify potential risks of foreign interference.
Chairman of the National Security Strategy Joint Committee, Matt Western, warned that the UK “may see more such cases in the future, with evidence showing that China is conducting intelligence-gathering activities and attempting to undermine our democracy and political system.”