Britain's Security Service (MI5) warned members of both houses of Parliament about the risk of Chinese espionage activities, the BBC and the Telegraph reported on the 18th local time.
According to the reports, an MI5 warning stating that China is persistently trying to interfere in internal activities and procedures of the U.K. Parliament was conveyed through the parliamentary leadership.
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and House of Lords Speaker John McFall relayed the warning to lawmakers, expressing concern that "China is making persistent attempts to interfere with our activities and procedures in Parliament."
In a message, Speaker Hoyle said the Ministry of State Security is actively seeking to approach individuals and is using professional networking sites and recruitment and consulting handlers to gather information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships.
MI5 cited cases in which individuals posed as consultants producing geopolitical reports or as private recruitment headhunters to approach figures in British politics in attempts to extract confidential and inside information.
Speaker Hoyle explained that "MI5 issued this warning as such activity has been gradually spreading around specific targets."
Recently in Britain, a former parliamentary researcher was arrested on suspicion of Chinese espionage but was not charged, heightening vigilance about Chinese spy activity within politics.