targeted the House of Commons

British government did not act to prevent attempts to infiltrate China

• The alleged hack targeted the House of Lords.

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• Schuylin Bates with former Prime Minister Theresa May.

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• Kristen Lee has a law firm in central London.

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The former head of Britain's Foreign Intelligence Service, Lord Jonathan Evans, has accused ministers of inaction, following warnings that may have prevented an alleged Chinese agent from infiltrating Westminster, and described foreign interference as a direct and present threat to democracy.

Evans, who currently chairs the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said the Kristen Lee case, which was identified by law enforcement, last week;

Demonstrated the need to address weaknesses in the political system.

Ms. Li, 58, knowingly participated in political interference, on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, according to the alert distributed by the foreign intelligence service (M15).

It has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds, to fund staff in the parliamentary office of former Labor Shadow Secretary for International Trade, Barry Gardiner.

Lee denies any wrongdoing.

Labor MP for Brent North, Gardiner, said he specifically asked the security services if I should stop doing business with Lee, as they did not advise me to stop.

He also added that officials alleged that Lee made illegal political donations.

"I have been told by the security services that they have now obtained specific evidence of illegal donations in British politics through Christine Lee, but this is not about the properly recorded donations to my office," Gardiner said.

The question is: Where did the suspicious money go?

Evans said ministers ignored recommendations made by his committee to protect politics from the powerful forces in existence trying to create undue influence.

In a report last year, he said more needed to be done to determine the true source of the donations, and called for stricter rules on the flow of money through lobbyists or shell companies.

“This current case shows why the loopholes must be closed, given that there are powerful forces trying to create influence, through Parliament, and partly through money,” said Evans, 63, who ran the intelligence service from 2007 to 2013.

We have made some recommendations to fill some of these gaps, but the government has not taken action on them.”

Former Conservative MP Neil Carmichael, who advises and rents an office from Lee law firm, in central London, said:

He has spoken to Mrs. Lee, and she thinks she is innocent.

Carmichael, 60, said: "I was very surprised that all of this came out.

And she (Lee) doesn't think the moral of the story is accurate in any way."

It shows Ms. Lee bragging that she changed the rules for Chinese immigrants, after putting direct pressure on members of the House of Lords.

And in the video, which is from 2015, she said to me, Do you know what they did?

They have already changed the rules.

Why did they change the rules?

Because we have been able to express our concerns in Parliament directly through the House of Lords.

Her claims, which are understood to relate to the Immigration, Refugee and Nationality Act, legislation passed under Tony Blair's government, are supported by statements from her peers at the time.

The businesswoman met several politicians, including Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and David Cameron, when they were in Westminster.

She also met Carmichael, who later paid him for speeches and advice, at Parliament House.

It's possible, Evans said, that Lee may be part of a network operating within Parliament. “I don't think we should assume that (Lee) will be the only case," Evans said.

I would be surprised if there were no similar cases, for example from Russia.”

In response to a question about Britain's concern about foreign interference, he said, "I don't think there is any doubt that it is a direct and present threat."

"I certainly think the law has not kept pace with the current threats," he added.

Evans raised concerns about the broader issue of access to the Palace of Westminster, saying he saw no reason why people (eg wives) should be entitled to a pass to enter Parliament.

One of the beneficiaries is China's Shuilin Bates, wife of Lord Michael Bates, of the Conservative Party.

The former handbag saleswoman has become famous in recent years. She is the vice-president of the British-Chinese Association for the Promotion of National Reunification;

It is a body dedicated to the reunification of China.

Bates met Li through the Chinese community, but is understood to have been alarmed by reports of her activities.

Friends insisted that neither of them belonged to the Chinese Communist Party.

Britain's Department for International Trade removed Ms Lee's law firm from a list of recommended firms for foreign investors on the government's website.

Stanley Johnson, the prime minister's father, warned of a wave of sinophobia in response to Lee's case, saying it would be "ridiculous" to stop cooperating on issues such as climate change.

• Ms. Li, (58 years), knowingly participated in political interference on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

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