On Thursday Britain’s domestic counter-intelligence service, MI5, issued an “interference warning” about a “potential threat” by Christine Ching Cui Lee, a lawyer with offices in China and the UK.
The alert stated that Li worked “secretly” with the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party by cultivating ties with lawmakers “across the political spectrum” and facilitating donations “on behalf of foreign nationals”. . , intervened in British politics.
Before going offline, Lee’s firm was recently advertised on a website of the Department of International Trade on Friday.
CNN has contacted Lee for comment but has not received a response. On Friday, China’s foreign ministry denied that Li was a Chinese “agent” and said Beijing “has no need and will not engage in so-called interference activities.”
“We urge the relevant British authorities to refrain from making unsubstantiated comments for political purposes or exaggerating the theory of ‘China threat’,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
A CNN analysis of the UK Parliamentary Register shows that Lee gave at least £461,000 ($639,000) to Barry Gardiner, an elected member of the opposition Labor Party, between 2014 and 2020, mostly through funding his staff. His son also worked in his office and had a parliamentary pass.
Lee also donated £5,000 ($6,800) in 2013 to Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party.
It is not illegal for Lee to donate because the UK does not yet have a Foreign Agent Registration Act like the United States, nor is it necessary for a British citizen or foreign national working in the UK to be affiliated with the Communist Party of China . illegal for. , Lee is listed in the UK Corporate Registry as a British citizen.
In a statement to CNN, Gardiner said that Lee’s donation did not benefit him personally in any way. The money was properly reported and its source confirmed.
“I will continue to work closely with our security services in this and in all other matters relating to the security of our country,” Gardiner said.
Davy told CNN that his local union had accepted the donation, that it was properly reported, and that “for the first time he was given reason to be concerned.”
“The government should make it a national security priority to protect Britain’s democracy from threats and interference from foreign elements,” Dewey said.
Advertisement of Lee’s services on UK government portals
The payments were made through Lee’s designated law firm, Christine Lee & Company solicitors, which have been included in the directory of the “UK Advisory Network” since at least 2016 – now a list of professional services compiled by the Department for International Trade . As the directory says, “Provide an accessible route for foreign investors to establish themselves in the UK”.
A preface to the directory says that it is “facilitated by the invitation of the UK Government” and that “members undergo a rigorous vetting process to join.”
“The network provides a platform for the government to respond to issues affecting the business environment and ultimately inform efforts to make the UK even more business friendly,” it says.
Lee’s services can still be accessed through a government portal on Friday through the Department for International Trade, recently modified to attract foreign investment in UK projects.
An advertisement for Lee’s firm on the UK’s Great.gov website provided free first hour legal advice, as did the other firms listed.
A disclaimer on the site states that the department “does not endorse the character, goods, services or ability of the members of the directory” and that there is no legal relationship between the department and the listed service providers.
“This case reflects the apparent failure of the government’s amendment and the extraordinary naivety on the part of the government when it comes to the purpose of these kinds of institutions and individuals,” said Luke de Pulford of the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition on China. It turns out.” Which is insisting on making strict rules on China.
“For anyone publishing an alert about MI5 to advertise their services on a government website, this is really noteworthy and should be dealt with as soon as possible,” he said.
photographed with the prime ministers
Li, a former legal adviser to the Chinese Embassy in London, has been active in the political circles for 15 years.
He first founded the British Sugar Project in 2006 to encourage British citizens of Chinese descent to vote in the UK. Since 2011 she has joined a now-defunct All Party parliamentary group in the UK called Sugar.
She has been photographed with former Conservative prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May. The latter also presented him with an award two years earlier for his work with Britain’s Chinese community.
According to the UK’s Companies House Register, Lee has a network of property, legal, cultural and educational undertakings in his name.
A copy of a letter sent by the Speaker of Lords to the UK’s upper house, the House of Lords, and obtained by CNN, Li said, “facilitating donations on behalf of foreign nationals based in Hong Kong and China. For the mask” was paid.
“This is clearly unacceptable and steps are being taken to stop it.” reads the letter.
The Home Office last year launched a consultation on new legislation designed to devise safeguards against hostile state action. Parliamentary sources told CNN the bill is expected to be introduced in the House of Commons early this year.
When CNN visited the London office of Lee’s law firm in the center of Soho, it appeared to have been closed for a while with windows full of dust. It was empty with a notice in the window saying it had closed due to the pandemic. Emails and calls to the contact details given in the sign remained unanswered.
In an excerpt written for the UK’s Daily Mail in 2020, the firm said: “Christine Lee & Co. is proud of its record of public service and the support it has provided to the democratic process. We have never unfairly influenced a politician.” not done.” or to receive assistance of any kind in return for the assistance provided by us.”
Ian Duncan Smith, a former leader of the ruling Conservative Party and a staunch critic of China, warned Li in parliament on Thursday, saying MI5 had warned House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to be “actively an agent of the Chinese government”. Acting to “disrupt” the process of Parliament.
“It is a matter of serious concern,” he said.
CNN’s Allegra Goodwin contributed to this report.