China has allegedly hacked the mobile phones of senior officials working at Downing Street in the United Kingdom, according to a recent report. The cyberattacks reportedly targeted close aides of former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak between 2021 and 2024. The hacking campaign is believed to be part of a broader espionage operation known as “Salt Typhoon.”

The report emerged just days after the British government approved China’s plan to build its largest embassy in Europe in London. This development has raised serious concerns about national security and the safety of sensitive government data.

According to a report by The Telegraph, Chinese hackers carried out multiple cyberattacks on the phones of Downing Street staff over several years. The attacks were especially frequent during Rishi Sunak’s time as prime minister, from 2022 to 2024. A source familiar with the incident said that the breach went “right into the heart of Downing Street,” highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

Although the full scale of the data stolen from the hacked devices is still unclear, there are growing fears that the Salt Typhoon operation is ongoing. The current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer and his senior team could also be at risk. The uncertainty around what information may have been compromised has added to the alarm among British security officials.

The hacking incident in Downing Street is part of a wider global espionage campaign allegedly launched by Beijing. The operation has reportedly targeted several countries, particularly members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Intelligence agencies believe that the breaches began as early as 2021 but were only discovered in 2024.

The United States played a key role in exposing the operation. It revealed that China had gained access to sensitive data by infiltrating telecommunications companies across the world. This method allowed hackers to collect large amounts of information without directly targeting individuals at first.

An FBI warning issued last year highlighted the potential dangers of such data breaches. The alert stated that the stolen information could give Chinese intelligence agencies the ability to “identify and track their targets’ communications and movements around the world.” This warning underlined the serious implications of the hacking operation for global security.

The revelations come at a politically sensitive time, as Sir Keir Starmer is scheduled to visit China later this week. The visit aims to strengthen trade and investment relations between the UK and China. Sir Keir is the first British prime minister to travel to China since Baroness May in 2018. However, critics have accused him of taking a soft approach toward China’s alleged hostile activities in order to secure economic benefits.

At the same time, the British government’s approval of China’s new embassy in London has sparked further debate. Security officials have expressed concerns that the large embassy could allow Beijing to monitor fibre-optic cables running beneath the area. These cables are used by financial institutions and other critical services. Officials have also warned that a bigger embassy could mean an increased presence of Chinese diplomats and spies in the UK. However, the Chinese embassy in London has rejected these claims.

Overall, the alleged hacking of Downing Street officials’ phones has intensified fears about cyber espionage and foreign influence in the UK. The situation has also highlighted the challenges Britain faces in balancing national security concerns with its economic and diplomatic relationship with China.