Three Chinese Spies Posing as Journalists Expelled from UK Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Amid growing tensions between China and the UK over a BBC report, local British media reported on the 5th that the government detected and expelled three Chinese intelligence agents last year who were disguised as journalists conducting espionage activities.

According to the report, the expelled individuals belonged to the Ministry of State Security (MSS) of China and entered the UK last year after obtaining journalist visas. The three spies each disguised themselves as working for different Chinese media outlets.

The UK's domestic intelligence agency (MI5) confirmed their identities and sent them back to China.

In the UK, concerns are spreading over Chinese economic espionage and intellectual property theft targeting universities and companies.

The media stated that the UK government plans to pass legislation in the next Parliament to further strengthen current laws on espionage and official secrecy.

According to the UK government, it is common for Chinese intelligence agents to disguise themselves as journalists and operate covertly in Western countries. Last year, Fraser Cameron, a former officer of the UK's foreign intelligence agency (MI6), was suspected of selling secrets to two Chinese spies disguised as journalists in Brussels, Belgium.