The UK Parliament is grappling with heightened concerns over Chinese espionage activities, following a series of warnings and incidents that have raised alarms among MPs and members of the House of Lords. The latest episode involves Simon Whelband, a Conservative councillor and staffer for MP Neil O’Brien, who was sanctioned by China in 2021. Whelband recently discovered an unsolicited LinkedIn message from an account named Shirly Shen, offering a job opportunity. Although the message appeared innocuous, Whelband reported it to Parliament’s security services, who advised him to block the account. This incident underscores a broader trend of Chinese operatives targeting parliamentary staff to gain insider insights. MI5 has identified two LinkedIn profiles allegedly used by Chinese security services as ‘civilian recruitment headhunters,’ aiming to solicit information from individuals in British politics. The security minister, Dan Jarvis, has acknowledged these concerns, emphasizing China’s low threshold for valuable information. The debate in the Commons has revealed widespread worries, including fears about Chinese-made buses equipped with ‘kill switches,’ military vehicles potentially acting as listening devices, and the construction of a new Chinese embassy in central London, which critics argue could serve as a spying hub. Despite these concerns, the UK government maintains a ‘pragmatic’ approach to China, recognizing the necessity of collaboration while being ‘clear-eyed’ about the risks. However, a growing number of MPs are advocating for a more skeptical stance, reflecting the complex and often conflicting dynamics of dealing with a superpower that is both essential and dangerous.