Three men have been arrested in London and Wales on suspicion of spying for China, the Metropolitan Police has said.
The men were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act, 2023.
Officers arrested a 39-year-old man in London, a 68-year-old man in Powys, Wales, and a 43-year-old man in Pontyclun, Wales. All three remain in custody and have not been identified by police.
However, the Guardian reports that one of the men is the partner of a sitting Labour MP, whilst a second person is understood to be the partner of a former Labour MP.
The arrests were part of a wider investigation into national security offences related to China.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “Today’s arrests are part of a proactive investigation and while these are serious matters, we do not believe there to be any imminent or direct threat to the public relating to this.
“Our investigation continues, and we thank the public for their ongoing support.”
She added that counter terror offices have “seen a significant increase in our casework relating to national security in recent years”.
The arrests were addressed in the Commons by Security Minister Dan Jarvis, who confirmed they related to “China and “foreign interference targeting UK democracy”.
“This government stands resolute to country foreign in our resolve to counter foreign interference activity targeting the UK from any state actor,” he said.
Jarvis said China “presents a series of threats to the United Kingdom”, adding that the government are “deeply concerned by an increasing pattern” from Chinese state actors “targeting democracy”.