'Do Chinese state actors present a UK national security threat? The answer is, of course they do'

CHINA is a daily threat to UK security, MI5's boss has warned.

- Michael Knowles

Sir Ken McCallum yesterday revealed his “frustration” at the collapse of the prosecution of two alleged spies, saying that security service staff had worked “very hard” to seek convictions.

The intelligence agency’s director general added: “So it’s frustrating when they don’t happen.”

He vowed to “never back off” from confronting China’s agents and said MI5 foiled a plot directed by Beijing within the past week, heaping pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to block a Chinese mega-embassy in the heart of London.

Sir Ken said: “Do Chinese state actors present a UK national security threat? The answer is, of course they do, every day. I said that last year, I said it the year before, I said it the year before that. If I’m in this job a year from now I’m sure I will say it then too.”

Chinese spies allegedly try to steal state secrets, academic research, business information and even kidnap dissidents in the UK.