Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has sidestepped inquiries regarding whether he discussed the arrest of a researcher in the UK Parliament suspected of spying for China with the Chinese

government. While Cleverly acknowledged that both he and the Prime Minister had engaged with Chinese officials concerning "interference in our democracy," he declined to comment on the specific allegations, citing "security-related matters."

The researcher, who maintains his innocence, was arrested in March under the Official Secrets Act, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police. Sources have indicated that one of the detainees was involved in parliamentary work pertaining to international affairs.

Throughout the interview, Cleverly repeatedly emphasized his inability to disclose whether he had raised the researcher's case during his visit to China. Critics argue that the government's silence on the matter opens the door for accusations that it lacks the resolve to address the issue, including from some members within the ruling party who advocate for a tougher stance on China.

Prominent Tory MPs, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss, have called on the government to officially label China as a "threat," a step the government has thus far resisted. When asked about criticism from within his party, Cleverly stated that "Pretending China doesn't exist is not a credible policy." He maintained that there were numerous issues the UK wished to discuss with China, such as the sanctioning of British parliamentarians, and that these matters were best addressed through "face-to-face conversations."

Cleverly's visit to China last month marked the first by a foreign secretary in five years. However, when questioned about whether he was aware of the parliamentary researcher's arrest prior to his trip, Cleverly declined to comment. Similarly, he refrained from disclosing whether he discussed the case with Chinese officials. He did assert that both he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had raised concerns about Chinese actions aimed at undermining or distorting British democracy.

This controversy comes in the wake of accusations from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who alleged that Sunak had ignored warnings about China and called for a comprehensive evaluation of UK-China relations. China, for its part, has rejected these allegations, with foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning characterizing them as "malicious slander."

While China stands as the UK's fourth-largest trading partner, tensions between the two nations have escalated in recent years due to concerns over human rights in Hong Kong—a former British colony—and China's neutral stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Photo by Peter Trimming, Wikimedia commons.