• MI5 chief Ken McCallum states China poses a daily threat to UK security.
• Recent legal case against two men accused of spying for China has collapsed, raising concerns.
• The UK faces a 35% rise in investigations related to state threats, including those from China.

MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum has warned that China presents a “daily national security threat” to the United Kingdom, highlighting an increase in foreign espionage activities. Speaking at MI5 headquarters, he noted that there has been a 35% rise in the number of individuals under investigation for involvement in state threats over the past year. McCallum indicated that recent MI5 operations have directly addressed threats linked to China, saying, "We’ve intervened operationally again just in the last week" according to SCMP, India Times, and Channel News Asia.

The remarks come amid controversy following the collapse of espionage charges against two men linked to China. Critics, including the opposition, allege that the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government may have dropped the case to maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing. The accusations against the two men involved allegations of providing information detrimental to UK security, but these charges were recently dismissed, leading to questions about the government's stance on espionage threats from China according to SCMP, India Times, and Channel News Asia.

McCallum emphasized that MI5 is facing heightened threats not only from China but also from countries like Russia and Iran, with the agency routinely uncovering plots that involve surveillance, sabotage, arson, and potential acts of violence. His comments underscore the rising complexity of national security threats facing the UK, as he stated, "Do Chinese state actors present a UK national security threat? The answer is of course yes, they do, every day." This sentiment was echoed by the ongoing concerns regarding cyber-espionage, where Western nations have accused China of targeting political institutions and lawmakers according to SCMP, India Times, and Channel News Asia.