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Original poster

Is no one concerned about the Chinese agent who infiltrated parliament?

60 replies

Whattochoosenow · 13/01/2022 22:57

Everyone is so concerned about Boris and his parties, yet meanwhile we have news of a Chinese agent who infiltrated parliament to establish links for the CCP, and who donated nearly half a million pounds to MP Barry Gardiner. It’s barely even making headlines but this is potentially a huge national security breach.

MI5 warning over 'Chinese agent' in Parliament www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59984380

OP posts:
Schlerp · 14/01/2022 00:48

Honestly? Idgaf- our beloved government are of far more danger to this country than one of many spies infiltrating the system.

KloppsTeeth · 14/01/2022 00:48

I could do with half a million quid. I am of no use nor influence to the Chinese, or Russians or even the Fraggles.

I am concerned about it, it is in the news. But I am also aware that this is a distraction from the issues around Boris Johnson and Andrew Windsor.

Tealightsandd · 14/01/2022 00:50

Perfect distraction to Boris and his antics

In itself a perfect distraction from the hundreds of deaths a week, many Long Covid newly disabled, and hospitals in London (and now Manchester) so overwhelmed they're calling in the military for help.

Brace yourselves people because it's only going to get worse once Silent But Deadly Twelve Homes Sunak gets in.

FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 14/01/2022 04:22

Just to get this straight:

  • it’s fine for MPs to receive tons of money from UK-based lobbyists, who clearly (clue in the name) influence decisions made to privatise healthcare, where lucrative contracts go, and every other decision made by the uk gov. Lots of this money comes from companies and individuals with international reach and various ‘anti-uk’ interests.
  • it’s not fine for MPs to receive tons of money from Chinese sources in case China gets undue influence in uk politics.

Isn’t the answer:

  • honest politicians
  • rules on donations

Rather than a random witch-hunt about a single Chinese woman doing no more than all the other sleazy donors? I mean, her website makes her China links pretty bloody clear.

Original poster
Whattochoosenow · 14/01/2022 04:49

So is the general thinking that this has been released to distract us from everything else that’s going on?

OP posts:
jamandmarmaladethesecondcoming · 14/01/2022 05:08

@Whattochoosenow

So is the general thinking that this has been released to distract us from everything else that’s going on?
100%. To throw shade at the Labour party.
NumberTheory · 14/01/2022 05:36

@FiddlefigOnTheRoof

Just to get this straight:
  • it’s fine for MPs to receive tons of money from UK-based lobbyists, who clearly (clue in the name) influence decisions made to privatise healthcare, where lucrative contracts go, and every other decision made by the uk gov. Lots of this money comes from companies and individuals with international reach and various ‘anti-uk’ interests.
  • it’s not fine for MPs to receive tons of money from Chinese sources in case China gets undue influence in uk politics.

Isn’t the answer:

  • honest politicians
  • rules on donations

Rather than a random witch-hunt about a single Chinese woman doing no more than all the other sleazy donors? I mean, her website makes her China links pretty bloody clear.

Those are the answers. But in the absence of that (and lets face it, we don't have that in place) MI5 still have a duty to attempt to mitigate risk when they have sincere concerns.

Christine Lee is UK based. The donations appear to have come from her firm of solicitors based in London so the donations are acceptable according to the current rule book. The thing that is being highlighted now is that MI5 are saying her money is coming from chinese political sources, that Lee is channeling them and that they think she has a goal of setting up parliamentary groups that will favour China's interests. By stating that publicly it makes it difficult for MPs, deliberately or not, to promote her interests.

I think it is naive and foolish to think that our democracy can only be under attack from one direction at a time. Johnson's corruption and dishonesty is a major threat, but China has been increasing its engagement in soft power infiltration for a couple of decades so this should hardly be a surprise.

When is there a week when Johnson's behaviour is such that any news about other risks to democracy would be, to some extent, competing with him?

Monty27 · 14/01/2022 06:20

Was it cash or cocaine? Go figure.

Aishah231 · 14/01/2022 06:30

I can't get too worked up as I assume all government's do this sort of dodgy stuff. I am more worried about the general anti China and Russia push. What's behind it scares me. The media seem fine with countries like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Bahrain etc so it's clearly politically motivated.

ElftonWednesday · 14/01/2022 06:33

We do this in other countries, all the time.

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 14/01/2022 06:40

@Delphigirl

Boris put the son of a kgb agent in the House of Lords. Nothing surprises me.
This. The Russians have been doing it for a while
Thirtytimesround · 14/01/2022 08:41
  1. This is old news, the story broke years ago.
  1. It’s unremarkable. Countries spy on each other all the time i cluding bribes for influence. They decided to embarrass China over this because of China’s genocide of ethnic minorities.

I am MUCH more interested in the fact that our slimy Prime Minister has been caught out breaking the lockdown laws he forced the rest of us to follow and he hasn’t even been fined. Now THAT is corruption at the heart of Westminster, not some Chinese spy sneaking around trying to bribe people into saying nice things about China.

Isaw3ships · 14/01/2022 12:08

No. She’s a British citizen who has lived
in the U.K. most of her life, ( from HK when it was a British territory as a child) and runs a British law firm that specialises in immigration. Her family is here, she married a non-Chinese Brit and has British kids.
She’s donated money to political causes as do many people in law/who are part of the establishment.
She’s not a spy or an agent which is why even the most rabid papers are using ‘spy’ in inverted commas. She’s not broken laws or she’d be arrested. She’s not going to be ‘deported’ because she’s from N.Ireland/Birmingham.
Still, knocked Boris and his parties off the front page for a day, didn’t it?

Isaw3ships · 14/01/2022 12:17

The Times did a story a few years ago too… so why is it suddenly a thing now??

DGRossetti · 14/01/2022 12:22

What's the worst that could happen ?

Government descends into chaos ?
Trade and reputation trashed ?
Causing international friction and tension ?

I suspect the main reason no one is really bothered is there really isn't much more a foreign power could do to harm us that we haven't done ourselves.

Besides, I bet Boris and the Tory party really wished this was China right now. They don't take any nonsense from their people.

Isaw3ships · 14/01/2022 12:29

With that story and the Prince formerly known as HRH, our corrupt given is having a bit of a respite from having to defend why they partied while people couldn’t see their ill and dying loved ones.

Isaw3ships · 14/01/2022 12:30

Corrupt government… how much did we spend on the crappy Track and Trace,
again?

Nitgel · 14/01/2022 12:30

i passed her little office in london the other day and thought it looked odd, out of place

Isaw3ships · 14/01/2022 12:31

‘ i passed her little office in london the other day and thought it looked odd, out of place’

Been there for years, didn’t you notice it before?? And it’s a few streets away from China town, so maybe not that out of place after all…

Mundra · 14/01/2022 12:33

It seems a lot odd,. considering she's from HK, not mainland China. Perhaps this was the price for her expanding her business into Guangzhou?

Isaw3ships · 14/01/2022 12:40

@Mundra from HK but lived in Britain for 50 years…came to U.K. as a child.

Nitgel · 14/01/2022 12:45

@Isaw3ships

‘ i passed her little office in london the other day and thought it looked odd, out of place’

Been there for years, didn’t you notice it before?? And it’s a few streets away from China town, so maybe not that out of place after all…

well no i didn't notice it before! just thought it looked old fashioned. when it was on the news i realised it was her office. sorry why the ??
astoundedgoat · 14/01/2022 13:06

If you're Russian it costs a lot less AND you get a seat in the House of Lords out of it. Really can't get fussed about this one.

It's a dead cat story, OP. They've known about her for years.

IWillFartOnYourCake · 14/01/2022 13:15

@astoundedgoat

If you're Russian it costs a lot less AND you get a seat in the House of Lords out of it. Really can't get fussed about this one.

It's a dead cat story, OP. They've known about her for years.

Indeed. Lord Lebedev, Baron of Hampton and Siberia no less. Billionaire and son of a former KGB spy. Totally normal stuff!
StopStartStop · 14/01/2022 13:21

If you want to be paranoid about China, look at what they own in the UK.