London - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed "significant concerns" to Chinese Premier Li Qiang regarding alleged interference from Beijing shortly after the arrest of two individuals in the UK suspected of spying for China was made public.

Sunak disclosed that he had raised various concerns during his conversation with the Chinese official, with a particular emphasis on his strong reservations about any interference in the UK's parliamentary democracy, deeming such interference unacceptable. This discussion took place while Sunak was attending the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi.

One of the arrested individuals, a male in his late twenties who had previously worked as a researcher specializing in international policy matters in the House of Commons, was apprehended by counterterrorism police in March, along with another man in his thirties, as reported by sources familiar with the situation. The Sunday Times initially broke the news about these arrests.

In a separate statement from the Sunak-Li meeting, Chinese state media reported that Premier Li emphasized the need for both nations to refrain from intertwining trade, economic cooperation, and politics with security concerns.

UK Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, speaking on Sky News, referred to China as a "challenge" that was of significant importance before correcting his terminology. Chalk mentioned that there was a "rigorous approach" to ensuring access to Parliament, but further assessments would be necessary once the police investigation concluded.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday that there was no verifiable evidence of espionage activities by China in the UK. She called on the UK to cease disseminating false information, refrain from engaging in anti-China political maneuvers, and avoid unfairly framing China in a malicious manner.