March 4, 2026, 4:16 p.mMarch 4, 2026, 4:16 p.m
British police arrest three men on suspicion of espionage. (symbol image)Image: keystone
Three men have been arrested in the UK on suspicion of spying for China. The suspects, aged 39, 68 and 43, were tracked down by counter-terrorism police officers in London and Wales, Scotland Yard said.
Just a few weeks ago, the government’s approval of the construction of a huge Chinese embassy in London caused a stir due to security concerns.
According to police, the three men are suspected of having spied on behalf of the secret service of the Chinese communist government. They are therefore still in custody, and several searches were carried out by the officers in the course of the arrests. The police initially did not provide any further information about the circumstances.
According to the PA news agency, one of those arrested is the husband of Scottish Labor MP Joani Reid. “I have never seen anything that makes me suspect that my husband has broken the law,” Reid said. She is not involved in her husband’s business and has never been to China.
“As far as I know, as an MP I have never met Chinese businessmen, Chinese diplomats or government employees,” she said, according to PA.
The Chinese “super embassy” will be built on the site of the historic Royal Mint building, centrally located near the Tower of London and next to the financial district. The project has been considered highly controversial for years, primarily due to safety concerns. Critics fear that the Chinese government could use the huge complex as a base for espionage.
Britain is “deeply concerned” about increasing “covert activities by Chinese state-affiliated actors targeting British democracy,” said Secretary of State for Security Dan Jarvis in the British Parliament. If this suspicion is confirmed, it will have “serious consequences,” he announced. It remained unclear whether he was possibly referring to the upcoming local and regional elections in Great Britain in May. (nil/sda/dpa)