On Thursday, October 16, the Director General of the UK Security Service (MI5), Ken McCallum, delivered his annual speech at the MI5 headquarters in London. He stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses a daily threat to the national security of the UK, as the country has once again thwarted a conspiracy by CCP spies.
In the past year, MI5 has seen a 35% increase in the number of investigations into national security threats, primarily emanating from China, Russia, and Iran. McCallum outlined various CCP threat activities, including cyber espionage, clandestine technology transfers, interference in British public life, and harassment and intimidation of democracy activists.
He revealed that within the past week, MI5 has taken “active intervention” against another CCP-related spy plot, resulting in a successful disruption.
When asked whether the CCP poses a threat to British national security, he responded, “Yes.”
“Does the Chinese (CCP) state actor pose a threat to British national security? Certainly, yes, every day.”
Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service unexpectedly dropped charges against two British men – former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and scholar Christopher Berry – accused of engaging in espionage activities for Beijing from 2021 to 2023. Both denied passing politically sensitive information to the CCP.
McCallum told reporters that the case’s conclusion left him “frustrated.”
“Of course, I am frustrated whenever the opportunity to prosecute activities threatening national security does not proceed for any reason.” However, he emphasized that MI5 had successfully thwarted the alleged CCP spy activities, safeguarding national interests, and urged the public not to overlook the fact that this was a robust action taken for the benefit of British national security.
Opposition critics criticized the decision to drop the CCP spy case as an attempt by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to appease Beijing. Starmer denied this allegation.
McCallum stated that balancing diplomatic relations with China is the government’s duty, but MI5’s responsibility is to “detect and robustly handle activities threatening national security.”
Aside from the CCP, MI5 is also addressing threats from other hostile nations: it has foiled a series of malicious surveillance conspiracies by Russia and traced over twenty secret Iranian-backed plots that could cause casualties.
In conclusion, McCallum remarked, “The quantity and variance of terrorist and state actor threats faced by MI5 this year surpass anything I have witnessed before.” He referred to the current global situation as compelling MI5 to undergo its most significant transformation since 9/11.
On Monday, October 13, MI5 released new public guidelines, warning British politicians and their staff that they are targets of CCP, Russian, and Iranian spies. MI5 highlighted that all three adversaries aim to conduct “long-term strategic foreign interference and espionage operations” to advance their interests and undermine the British democratic system.
McCallum urged, “Everyone reading these guidelines is deeply invested in their role within British democracy. Take action today to protect it – and yourselves.”