The Telegraph: Chinese Spies Hacked UK Officials’ Phones for Years

China hacked the mobile phones of senior UK government officials over a period of several years, The Telegraph reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, the cyberattacks occurred between 2021 and 2024 and targeted close aides to former British prime ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.

It remains unclear whether the prime ministers’ own phones were compromised; however, one source told the newspaper that the attack reached “the very heart of Downing Street.”

U.S. intelligence sources indicate that the Chinese espionage operation, known as Salt Typhoon, is ongoing. As a result, current government officials – including Prime Minister Keir Starmer – may also have been at risk.

In November, MI5 issued a “spy warning” to Parliament regarding the threat posed by China.

According to the publication, hackers may have been able to read text messages or listen in on phone calls involving senior government officials.

Even if they were unable to intercept phone calls, the attackers could have accessed metadata — learning who officials communicated with and how often, as well as geolocation data indicating their approximate whereabouts.

The hacking of British officials’ phones was part of a global espionage operation by Beijing targeting multiple countries, including the United States and three other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance: Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

The attacks date back to at least 2021 but were only detected by intelligence services in 2024. They came to light after the United States revealed that hacker groups linked to Beijing had gained access to telecommunications companies worldwide.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously rejected the accusations, calling them unfounded and unsupported by evidence.

In January 2026, it was reported that China plans to build a secret room in the new “super-embassy,” less than 2 meters from cables carrying sensitive data to London’s largest financial centers.