The Rest Is Classified

Episode 104: The Chinese Spy Scandal – Breaching Westminster (Ep 1)

Release Date: December 1, 2025
Hosts: David McCloskey (former CIA analyst/novelist) & Gordon Corera (veteran security correspondent)

Episode Overview

This opening episode of a two-part series plunges into the world of Chinese espionage, focusing on recent high-profile incidents in the UK Parliament and the broader global context of China's intelligence activities. McCloskey and Corera unravel how modern Chinese spycraft exploits digital tools—especially professional networking sites like LinkedIn—for political and industrial espionage. The episode explores high-level influence operations, the unprecedented scale of Chinese intelligence, and the blurred lines between lobbying, influence, and outright espionage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The LinkedIn Pitch: Modern Digital Recruitment

• Opening Hook: The episode kicks off with a real LinkedIn message from "Shirley" (suspected Chinese headhunter) sent to a UK parliament researcher—highlighting the almost comedic, but deeply serious, initial approach of modern spies.
  • Quote:

    "Who could resist such a beautifully crafted email with such lovely, inviting language?"
    — Gordon Corera (03:15)

• Both hosts joke about the awkward prose, using it as a springboard to discuss the proliferation and effectiveness of digital spy recruitment.
• MI5 recently issued an espionage alert to the UK Parliament, warning of "a covert and calculated campaign" exploiting professional networking sites for spy recruitment.

2. The Scale and Uniqueness of Chinese Espionage

• Explosive Growth:
  • MI5 is running 7x more China-related investigations than five years prior.
  • The FBI launches a new China-centric counterintelligence case every 10 hours, currently handling over 2,000 China-linked cases.
    • Quote:

      "It opens a new investigation that is China sort of related every 10 hours. That's insane."
      — David McCloskey (06:24)

• Distinct Mandate & Breadth:
  • China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) uniquely merges foreign, domestic, and economic espionage—contrasting with Western agencies focused on more discrete domains.
  • The MSS, formed in the 1980s, has become Xi Jinping’s favored tool and is believed to employ around 600,000 people—a historic scale surpassing even the KGB at its height.
    • Quote:

      "The estimates... 600,000 people are working for Chinese state security and intelligence organizations... staggering, isn't it?"
      — Gordon Corera (10:52)

• Influence & Operations:
  • MSS utilizes digital platforms for mass outreach, escalating from traditional “fly-fishing” to “trawling” Western targets by the thousands.
  • Operatives not only approach critical government staff but dip deep—targeting parliamentarians, think tank experts, consultants, and sometimes even former intelligence officers.

3. Evolution of Tradecraft: Old Techniques, New Tools

• Deepfake Dangers:
  • Discuss how spy recruitment has moved online, where initial engagement, grooming, and even attempts at face-to-face meetings sometimes leverage deepfakes and malware-laced Zoom calls to compromise targets' devices.
    • Quote:

      "If you and I, Gordon, are having this conversation, we could look and sound like totally different people."
      — David McCloskey (16:28)

• Case Study: Christine Lee & United Front Work
  • MI5’s 2022 alert about Christine Lee, a UK-based lawyer and agent for China’s United Front Work Department (UFWD), illustrates influence operations versus classic espionage.
  • Lee funneled hundreds of thousands of pounds into UK politics, reflecting China's long-term project to “seed” influence across generations of public officials.
    • Quote:

      "Her role was to act as a kind of ambassador for China-UK relations and as an advocate for the Chinese community. Now, MI5 said... she was the conduit for money flowing into the UK political system with its true origins in China hidden." — Gordon Corera (21:02)

• Blurring the Lines:
  • The hosts dissect how recruiting for “consultancy” or “research” work starts with innocuous open-source asks, then escalates to soliciting confidential insights or insider gossip—vital fodder for foreign planners.
  • Recipients may be unknowingly nudged from legitimate engagement into clandestine influence operations.

4. The Westminster Spy Scandal and Its Collapse

• Recent Case Discussed:
  • Two men, Christopher Cash (parliamentary researcher) and Christopher Berry, were charged under the UK’s Official Secrets Act for allegedly providing confidential information to China.
  • Charges collapsed before trial due to legal ambiguities—specifically, whether China could be designated an "enemy" when the government sought to improve relations.
    • Quote:

      "Just days before the trial is due to start, the charges are withdrawn, the case collapses. Now this becomes a massive political story..."
      — Gordon Corera (31:35)

  • UK law historically focused on passing secrets to “enemies.” The government’s hesitation to label China as an outright enemy at a sensitive diplomatic juncture led to prosecutorial deadlock.
  • The episode reflects ongoing Western tension: trading robustly with China while grappling with its covert interference.
• Policy Implications:
  • The gap between modern espionage realities and outdated legislation is laid bare, prompting new laws (the UK’s National Security Act) to define and penalize foreign agent activity more clearly.

5. International Perspective and The Five Eyes Response

• The UK is not alone—Australia, Canada, and the US have also raised alarms about similar Chinese influence and espionage campaigns.
• At a 2023 “Five Eyes” intelligence summit in California, MI5’s director revealed that over 20,000 UK individuals have been covertly approached by Chinese operatives over digital platforms—testament to China’s relentless numbers game.
  • Quote:

    "More than 20,000 people in the UK had been approached covertly by Chinese spies... that includes, you know, particularly over LinkedIn, but other ways as well."
    — Gordon Corera (40:08)

6. Teaser: When Spies Become the Targets

• The episode concludes with a setup for Part 2: the story of Kevin Mallory, a financially troubled ex-CIA officer recruited by Chinese agents over LinkedIn, whose downfall became a textbook case of digital espionage gone awry.

Key Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the LinkedIn approach:
  • Gordon Corera: "Who could resist such a beautifully crafted email with such lovely, inviting language?" (03:15)
• On unprecedented scale:
  • David McCloskey: "It opens a new investigation that is China sort of related every 10 hours. That's insane." (06:24)
• On deepfake tech in cyber-espionage:
  • David McCloskey: "If you and I, Gordon, are having this conversation, we could look and sound like totally different people." (16:28)
• On “influence” vs. traditional espionage:
  • Gordon Corera: "She was the conduit for money flowing into the UK political system with its true origins in China hidden." (21:02)
• On blurring lines between secrets and lobbying:
  • David McCloskey: “What is the line between sort of an influence operation slash espionage and just lobbying? That’s a pretty fuzzy kind of barrier.” (24:50)
• On the numbers game:
  • Gordon Corera: “More than 20,000 people in the UK had been approached covertly by Chinese spies...” (40:08)

Notable Timestamps

• [02:24] — Shirley’s cringeworthy LinkedIn approach
• [03:41] — MI5’s warning to Parliament; context for alert
• [06:42] — U.S.-U.K. joint statement: China the “biggest long-term threat”
• [10:52] — The scale of China’s intelligence community
• [16:28] — Deepfake/Zoom malware in digital spycraft
• [21:02] — Christine Lee and United Front Work Department
• [31:35] — Westminster espionage prosecution and its collapse
• [40:08] — MI5 reveals 20,000+ covert approaches in the UK
• [42:56] — Lead-in to Kevin Mallory case (Part 2 teaser)

Tone & Style

McCloskey and Corera maintain a tone that is simultaneously sharp, witty, and gravely serious. Their banter underscores the almost surreal nature of real-world espionage, such as charmingly bad LinkedIn pitches, but the underlying message is clear: Chinese intelligence is patient, resource-rich, and deeply embedded in the wiring of modern Western institutions.

Final Thoughts

This episode frames the Chinese spy challenge as both classic and unsettlingly new—marrying old tactics with digital innovation and mass scale. As Western governments scramble to adapt, the public is left with a stark warning: if a headhunter slides into your DMs, check twice—it may be more than a “side hustle.” The story continues next episode, diving into the perilous seduction of a former CIA officer by China’s digital net.