Britain's national intelligence agency MI5 warned on Tuesday that China was trying to recruit MPs through spies disguised as headhunters, amid concerns about Beijing's activities in the UK.

Fears of Chinese espionage in the UK have increased after charges were dropped in a politically sensitive case against two suspected spies, and as the government considers a request from Beijing to build a controversial new embassy building in London.

“Today, MI5 issued a spy alert” to Parliament and parliamentary staff “to warn them that our democratic institutions continue to be targeted by Chinese actors,” Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the House of Commons.

“Our intelligence agencies have warned that China is trying to recruit and cultivate people with access to sensitive information about the British Parliament and Government,” Jarvis said.

According to the MI5 alert, the activity was being carried out by “Chinese intelligence officers, often masked through the use of front companies or external recruiters,” Jarvis said.

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum delivers his annual address at the British Security Service headquarters in London. Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS

MI5 named two online profiles that are “believed to be legitimate headhunters working for Chinese intelligence officials” and that establish relationships with their targets through platforms such as LinkedIn.

The spying alert, which the government said was issued to disrupt espionage activity, comes weeks after the prosecutor's office dropped charges against two men, including a parliamentary researcher, accused of spying for Beijing.

The government denied accusations that the charges had been dropped to protect its relations with China, which were improving but still fragile, while lawmakers and MI5 expressed frustration at the abandonment of the case.

Beijing had previously denied the espionage allegations.

FILE PHOTO: View of central Oxford, with buildings of the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. REUTERS/Toby Melville

In his statement, Jarvis outlined measures “to disrupt and deter threats” posed by China and other states, including increased scrutiny of political financing and security briefings for political parties.

He also stated that British universities were the target of Chinese attempts to influence their “independent research and interfere with campus activity.”

Government ministers will hold a “closed-door meeting” with university presidents to discuss the risks, Jarvis announced.

The minister also stated that the UK was “prepared” to disrupt the “dangerous and rampant offensive cyber ecosystem that China has allowed to take hold,” and that it “will not hesitate to use all the tools at its disposal.”

Jarvis's strong statement is intended to dispel concerns that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is prioritizing Chinese investment to stimulate Britain's ailing economy over security concerns.

However, it could put Starmer in a delicate position, as the decision on whether Beijing can build a new, large embassy in London is due to be delayed next month, raising concerns among residents and human rights advocates.

Several Western countries accuse Beijing of using espionage to gather technological information.