China: Overseas Students
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential that Chinese foreign students enrolled on MoD courses since 2010 were Foreign Intelligence Services personnel.
Answered by Al Carns
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that Defence establishments, assets and personnel are attractive targets for foreign intelligence services and takes the threat they pose extremely seriously. This is reflected in the establishment of the Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit in December 2025 which seeks to cohere and strengthen the UK’s counter-intelligence capabilities. All MOD courses are delivered in line with Government security classification standards and nationality requirements to ensure the appropriate protective measures are in place. It is not Government policy to comment on specific intelligence matters.
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