UK's Sunak tells China premier of 'interference' concerns after spying arrest

LONDON - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday told premier Li Qiang that he had "significant concerns" about China's "interference" in democracy following the arrest of a parliamentary researcher for spying.

Sunak told Li Qiang on Sunday he had "significant concerns about Chinese interference in the UK's parliamentary democracy" at a G20 meeting in India, a Downing Street spokesman told journalists.

UK police said Saturday that they had arrested a man in his twenties for spying, with the Sunday Times reporting he was a researcher in Britain's parliament.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service arrested two men, one in his twenties and another in his thirties, in March on suspicion of offences under the Official Secrets Act.

The Sunday Times said the suspect in his twenties had contacts with MPs from the ruling Conservative Party while working as a parliamentary researcher.

They included Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, the chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee.

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