Intelligence scandal in Great Britain. The Chinese spied on the government for years

China has been hacking the phones of high-ranking government members in London for years, the conservative Daily Telegraph reported, citing anonymous sources. It was supposed to be part of a broader campaign also targeting the USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Operation Salt Typhoon on Downing Street

The espionage operation may have given the government in Beijing insight into the private communications of high-ranking Downing Street officials, the Telegraph said, noting that it is not known whether hackers could have eavesdropped on the conversations or read the politicians' text messages.

According to the newspaper, entities acting on behalf of a foreign government attacked the phones of some of the closest associates of then prime ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak in 2021-2024.

It is unclear whether the operation also targeted the phones of the prime ministers themselves. However, according to one source, these activities reached “to the very heart of Downing Street”.

The Telegraph reported that the hacks had been carried out since at least 2021, but intelligence agencies only detected them in 2024.

However, The Times reported, citing intelligence sources, that there was no evidence that the operation in Great Britain was effective. People who worked in the government at that time did not confirm the version presented by the Telegraph.

The phone hacking in the UK was said to be part of a multi-year Chinese operation known as Salt Typhoon. At the beginning of January, the Financial Times reported that as part of this operation, Chinese intelligence gained access to the e-mails of employees of the US Congress.

Beijing firmly denies the accusations

Beijing categorically denies reports of cyberattacks. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China's embassy in Washington, said his country “firmly opposes baseless speculations and accusations” and the use of cybersecurity issues to “slander and defame China.”

However, according to American intelligence sources, the operation is still ongoing. It is therefore possible that the phones of the current British Prime Minister Keir Starmer or his associates were also targeted by hackers, noted the Telegraph.

Starmer begins a visit to China on Tuesday to talk with officials there about trade and investment relations. This is the first visit of a British Prime Minister to this country since 2018. Critics accuse Starmer of too gentle an approach to the government in Beijing. (PAP)

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