UK PM meets Chinese premier, slams alleged interference in parliament

A British man, reported to be a parliamentary researcher with links to MPs including Security Minister, has been arrested accused of spying

Rishi Sunak met Li Qiang during the G20 summit and raised ‘very strong concerns’ about ‘any interference … which is obviously unacceptable’

Reading Time:2 minutes

Metropolitan Police officers walk past the Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament in London, on Monday. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:39am, 10 Sep 2023Updated: 11:02pm, 10 Sep 2023

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned the Chinese premier of his “significant concerns” about Beijing’s interference in democracy after the arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying.

Sunak met Li Qiang at the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sunday, hours after news of two arrests in the UK under the Official Secrets Act emerged.

One is a researcher who has had links to several senior Tory members of parliament (MPs), including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and the foreign affairs committee chairwoman, Alicia Kearns.

The Briton was arrested along with another man by officers on March 13 on suspicion of spying for Beijing, it was revealed by the Sunday Times newspaper.

British lawmaker Alicia Kearns speaks to members of the media in Taipei, Taiwan in December 2022. Photo: Reuter

UK police said on Saturday they had arrested a man in his 20s for spying, with the paper reporting he was a researcher in Britain’s parliament.