Chinese spy and nuclear deals
Posted: 15th January 2022
Christine Lee: Woman accused of being a Chinese agent ‘sought to steer MPs on nuclear deals’. Exclusive: The solicitor tried to steer MPs language on sensitive infrastructure investment including nuclear power, it is alleged. Christine Lee, a woman accused of seeking covert influence over British lawmakers, lobbied parliamentary figures over Chinese investment interests in nuclear power and battery technology, The Independentunderstands. Ms Lee, who has been accused by security agency MI5 of “political interference”, directly and indirectly tried to shift language from MPs on a host of issues related to critical national infrastructure, including energy, manufacturing and telecoms, sources told The Independent. The warning message to MPs said Ms Lee had engaged with “individuals across the UK political spectrum” in order to further the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda. Issues Ms Lee tried to steer included China’s involvement in Hinkley C nuclear power station and Sizewell, it is claimed. She is understood to have sought influence with a range of British lawmakers, lobbied parliamentary figures over Chinese investment
interests in nuclear power and battery technology, The Independent
understands. Ms Lee, who has been accused by security agency MI5 of
“political interference”, directly and indirectly tried to shift
language from MPs on a host of issues related to critical national
infrastructure, including energy, manufacturing and telecoms, sources told
The Independent. The warning message to MPs said Ms Lee had engaged with
“individuals across the UK political spectrum” in order to further the
Chinese Communist Party’s agenda. Issues Ms Lee tried to steer included
China’s involvement in Hinkley C nuclear power station and Sizewell, it
is claimed. She is understood to have sought influence with a range ofBritish lawmakers including Labour MP Barry Gardiner. Ms Lee donated more
than £500,000 to fund Mr Gardiner’s office, records show. Her son worked
for the MP until Thursday morning though he was not named in the
communication from the parliamentary authorities. Mr Gardiner spoke in
favour of retaining Chinese involvement in Hinkley C, while serving as
Labour’s shadow secretary of state for trade and a shadow minister for
business and energy in September 2016. The MP also made a host of
supportive remarks insupportive remarks in response to a ministerial statement on a review of an
£18 billion deal to build nuclear energy capacity in Somerset could pose
any risks to security. Mr Gardiner then suggested that Chinese involvement
in the UK nuclear project did not pose a threat to sensitive intellectual
property – a frequent charge levied at China’s state-owned enterprises.
The MP also said that there was no cybersecurity risk arising from Chinese
involvement because the project was “a kitemark for marketing their
Hualong One reactor technology around the world” and therefore “such an
attack would undermine the very reason the Chinese wanted to be involved in
the project in the first place?”.
Independent 14th Jan 2022
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/christine-lee-mps-spy-nuclear-power-b1992735.html