Cameron-era approach to China harmed UK intelligence, MI6 boss warns

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David Cameron faces rising stress over his angle to China after the previous deputy head of MI6 warned British intelligence is unable to cope with escalating threats from Beijing.

Nigel Inkster stated MI6 “clearly (has).. difficulties”, whereas China has “industrial-scale cyber espionage operations directed against advanced Western countries.”

And he pointed to the Cameron authorities’s makes an attempt to develop friendlier relations with China.

“In 2015, the British government was talking about a ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations… Given that situation, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the security service isn’t where it might be,” he instructed the I newspaper.

In a bid to develop shut financial ties with the Asian superpower, Lord Cameron even hosted a state go to for President Xi Jinping in 2015.

The Sunak authorities has been clear it takes a harder stance with China.

In November the prime minister stated Lord Cameron’s return as overseas secretary didn’t imply the return of his “golden era” approach.

Mr Inkster stated the UK’s blind spot extends to “all the UK intelligence community”, which incorporates MI5 and GCHQ.

MI6 “clearly does have difficulties, in terms of language expertise and collective general historical and cultural awareness” when it comes to China, he stated.

He added: “We’re seeing a significant increase in human intelligence collection operations, with the Chinese services essentially seeming to be operating under no political constraints – incentivised to take risks and to do whatever it takes to get the intelligence that is required.”

The present head of MI6 Sir Richard Moore instructed Politico in July that the intelligence company now has extra assets devoted to China than another mission.

This “reflects … the crucial need to understand both the intent and capability of the Chinese government”, he stated.

Mr Inkster warned that might not be sufficient to counter Beijing’s capabilities, nonetheless.

“I know that there is a big effort underway to remedy those deficiencies,” he stated. “A lot of resources are now being put into getting the UK intelligence community in a better state… but it does take a certain amount of time.”

But he welcomed the brand new National Security Act, which he stated would make it simpler to prosecute Chinese spies, changing “an Official Secrets Act that was derived from the First World War”.