Leaked documents: Has the Chinese Communist Party infiltrated UK firms?

According to leaked documents delivered to The Daily Mail, members of the Chinese Communist Party have been working in British consulates, companies, and universities for a while now. Here’s everything we know about the unanticipated news so far. 

The shocking report

According to a database leak, there are around 1.95 million registered members of the Chinese Communist Party currently permeating the British work-f0rce. Some members, who have allegedly sworn an oath to “guard Party secrets, be loyal to the Party, work hard, fight for communism throughout [their] life . . . and never betray the Party” have jobs in British consulates.

There’s no evidence, however, that anyone has spied on behalf of China. It can be assumed, then, that most members are working in the British work-force simply on behalf of their careers. 

The information was initially leaked on Telegram, an instant messaging app. 

Comments from officials

Former Tory Party leader Duncan Smith appeared to be concerned about the revelations, telling the Mail: “This investigation proves that members of the Chinese Communist Party are now spread around the globe, with members working for some of the world’s most important multinational corporations, academic institutions, and our own diplomatic services.”

Smith continued: “The Government must now move to expel and remove any members of the Communist Party from our Consuls throughout China. They can either serve the UK or the Chinese Communist Party. They cannot do both.”

In addition, the Foreign Office declared it has “robust procedures in place to keep information secure and to vet staff at our overseas posts.” Based on this, it’s assumed they’re aware that some of their employees are Party members, yet they conclude that they pose no threat.

A senior Whitehall intelligence source claimed recent findings did, however, raise a few concerns. “In that station [the official] will be sat one floor away from the MI6 team and could have identified intelligence officers.”

Across the pond

Member of the U.S. Homeland Security Committee Senator John Hawley stated emphatically: “CCP agents have no place in U.S. government facilities, and this report should serve as a much-needed wake-up call to Washington, DC, and corporate executives, who continue to welcome the Chinese government with open arms.”

Hawley continued, stating that this recent news “is just more evidence of the extent to which the CCP has successfully infiltrated American companies and government”. 

What did the leak reveal?

The leak included extensive information into the Chinese Communist Party. It offered a number of surprising facts, including major players in COVID vaccine solutions, Pfizer & AstraZeneca, employed a whopping 123 party members. Other big names that hired party members were Airbus, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce.

In addition, there were over 600 party members working at British banks HSBC and Standard Chartered.

The leak also revealed information about ties between the Chinese Communist Party and academia. Party members attended a variety of British universities, and studied a variety of science subjects that would potentially place them in government jobs in the future. 

Where did the data leak come from?

Though it has not yet been confirmed, it is believed that the data leak came from a party-opposer who hacked the information from an office in Shanghai. This hacker obtained the information on a laptop, despite the high risk of being severely punished on account of treason.

Indeed, this revelation is timely. Just last week, the U.S. Director of National Security suggested that China presented the “greatest threat to democracy and freedom” since World War II, and had plans to dominate “the planet economically, militarily and technologically.”

—

Information is still being brought to light, and motives from party members are still ultimately unclear. Though no corruption has been officially stated to have taken place, some British consulate members have warned the UK is “playing with fire.”