“I feel compelled to respond to false accusations in the media that I am a Chinese spy,” the parliamentary researcher said in a statement issued through his lawyer. “It is not normal that I have to respond to reports that are not true. But what is written is not true. It is important to know that I am completely innocent.” The attorney’s statement did not say who the man was. This researcher is mainly concerned with international politics. He has access to the highest levels and worked for Security Minister Tom Tugendhat when he was a Member of Parliament and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns.

However, these espionage allegations come at a very inopportune time for China, as the British government seeks to improve relations with China. Last month, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly traveled to China’s capital, Beijing, to defuse disputes between London and Beijing. Last weekend, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed the issue with Chinese Premier Li Qiang after the G20 Summit in India.

The issue sparked disagreement in British politics over how to deal with China. Even within Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party, not everyone thinks the same way. According to Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch, China is not an enemy but a challenge, according to former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, real dialogue with China is impossible.

House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said today that his party was studying the case closely. “I want to reassure Members of the House that we are following the same investigative procedures as the Government, working closely with all relevant agencies,” he said in a statement to the House of Commons.