Five Major Countries Warn About Chinese Espionage

A joint warning issued by the Five Eyes alliance, consisting of agencies from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, has cautioned undercover operatives about using legitimate sites including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork to advertise their jobs.

A press release from MI5 warned Chinese intelligence posing as recruitment agents to deceive the UK government and military personnel into disclosing government secrets, as MI5 cautioned.

Five Eyes warned about Chinese spies seeking significant military, political, and economic intelligence that could provide China with strategic and tactical advantages.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the UK condemned the warning, describing the allegations as “fabricated” and “malicious slander.”

“The Five Eyes alliance is the largest intelligence agency in the world, and its members bravely conduct espionage operations worldwide. This is the real threat to peace-loving countries,” they added.

Targeted personnel range from those with security clearances to academics and staff of research agencies, as the warning stated.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “I encourage all government and military personnel to follow the advice of the National Security Agency to recognize signs of online targeting and to avoid inadvertently compromising our security.”

“We have taken strong measures to defend our country, and we will continue to address hostile actions from various countries, including China. Some of the latest cases demonstrate the strength of our capabilities to bring to justice those who commit acts while representing a foreign government.”

The Five Eyes press release stated that Chinese agents present fake job advertisements online before they sift through applicants' CVs to identify candidates worth targeting.

Online interviews are conducted to determine if they can access key areas of interest, such as government connections or military activities.

The final stage sees job seekers being asked to write sample reports on topics including China’s international relations or defense.

In November, Jarvis stated that MI5 had identified two LinkedIn accounts being used under the name of the Ministry of State Security of China (MSS).

They were identified as Amanda Qiu and Shirly Shen. Simon Whelband, a researcher for Conservative MP Neil O’Brien, stated that one of the accounts had contacted him.

He noted that the message was written in poor English and included a job offer.

O’Brien told the BBC: “If you were underage, you wouldn’t know what you were looking for.”