Senior UK intelligence officials have sounded an urgent alarm over Chinese state-linked agents covertly recruiting British expatriates in the United States. The warning, delivered in a confidential briefing to Whitehall last night, describes a sophisticated campaign to gather sensitive political and economic information from Britons working in American tech, finance, and academic sectors.
According to sources familiar with the briefing, the operation is run through front companies and social events in cities with large British communities, including New York, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. Agents are said to pose as business consultants or cultural attaches, offering lucrative consulting contracts or research collaborations in exchange for access to corporate networks and government contacts.
M15 and the Security Service have identified at least a dozen British nationals who were unknowingly cultivated over months before being asked to provide privileged data. The targets include mid-level executives at defence contractors, academics at Ivy League universities, and officials seconded to international organisations. The intelligence is believed to be channelled back to Beijing to aid China's industrial espionage and geopolitical strategy.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a former senior M15 officer called it "a clear and present danger to UK national security. We are seeing an escalation in aggressive targeting that mirrors tactics used against American citizens but specifically aimed at exploiting our shared language and cultural ties."
The warning comes amid heightened tensions between the West and China over trade, technology, and human rights. The UK government has recently strengthened its China strategy, balancing economic engagement with tougher national security measures. The Foreign Office declined to comment on operational details but reiterated its commitment to "protecting British interests and individuals from hostile state activity."
For British expats in the US, the news is unsettling. Many have built careers in America's innovation hubs, drawn by higher salaries and professional opportunities. But the blurring of lines between legitimate international business and espionage is making them wary. "You're at a conference, you meet a friendly person who speaks perfect English, and then suddenly they're asking pointed questions about your work," said a British engineer working in Boston who asked not to be named. "It's a sharp reminder that not everyone at the networking table is there for the same reasons."
The government has advised British nationals abroad to be vigilant about unsolicited approaches and to report any suspicious contacts to the nearest embassy. For those at the sharp end of this shadow war, the advice feels both necessary and chilling. The state is watching, but so, it seems, are others.
