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Smith, a former Tory leader, called for an urgent Commons question to address the matter, criticising what he described as the UK’s “massive amount of weakness to China” under Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to improve relations with Beijing.
According to the UK Guardian, the alleged spy, identified only as H6 under a UK court order, was banned from entering the UK after security services flagged him as a national security threat.
However, Smith dismissed claims that the exclusion addressed the problem. “We’re dealing with the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “There are many more like him in the UK… China is a very clear threat.”
Smith revealed that China’s United Front Work Department, tasked with cultivating relationships with influential figures globally, operates with an estimated 40,000 agents worldwide.
He said, “The fact he [H6] was leaving the UK tells you that he realised at some point he was going to get caught.” He warned that espionage activities of this nature remain a pressing concern.
Court documents revealed that the alleged spy had gained unusual levels of trust from Prince Andrew, enabling him to act on the Duke of York’s behalf in an international financial initiative targeting Chinese investors.
Pressure is mounting on ministers to fast-track the delayed Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) and categorise China as an enhanced threat. Smith criticised the government’s approach, claiming, “Nobody with half a brain will believe a word of that. The reality is it’s an excuse not to upset China.”
As part of renewed UK-China relations, Starmer recently met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Rio – the first such meeting in six years.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also expected to visit Beijing soon, fuelling unease among Labour MPs and trade unions about the government’s stance.
Five new Labour MPs have joined the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), a China-sceptic group.
Jim McMahon, a Labour government minister, said the decision to name the alleged spy was “a matter for the courts” and urged caution in using parliamentary privilege.
“We do have parliamentary privilege, and that should be exercised with caution,” McMahon said. “The overriding public interest has to be maintained.” He added, “It’s not something I’d be queueing up to do today in the context of the person being known to the authorities and the matter being dealt with.”
Smith also accused the government of ignoring human rights abuses in its dealings with China, particularly its reliance on solar infrastructure linked to forced labour.
He said, “They are actually showing a massive amount of weakness to China. “ He added that the UK lagged behind Europe and the United States in addressing these issues.
