Martin Thorley 马丁

UK-China book: Senior Analyst at @GI_TOC. PhD on shadow international relations. Previously academia. Views my own. Erstwhile 北漂儿

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

1/20 The news about "Chinese agent" Christine Lee broke today. I've been following her case for some time & in fact she featured in my PhD thesis on UK-China hidden relations. She's appeared in stories by @thetimes & @GuidoFawkes before. Yet there's still a lot more to this case.

[Harry Cole @MrHarryCole]

NEW: Since 2005, suspected Chinese agent Christine Lee has donated £675,586.88 to either Barry Gardiner's office or directly to the Labour Party.

https://t.co/J1Lu9ZEV7n

[Andreas Fulda 🇺🇦 🇹🇼 @AMFChina]

Wie kommt es, dass in Deutschland so viele Menschen die Schattenseiten von Autokratien nicht sehen wollen - oder schlimmer noch - als gegeben hinnehmen? In diesem 🧵 geht es um deutsche Befindlichkeiten: von Lebenslügen über Selbstzensur bis hin zu Selbstvasallisierung /1

[Hurst Publishers @HurstPublishers]

https://t.co/EJcnG3gwR3

🇨🇳🇬🇧 After a UK immigration officer has been found guilty of working for Chinese intelligence, debates about China’s influence in the UK is under scrutiny once again. Read a sample of @METhorley's 'All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain' & order at 25% discount here ➡️ https://t.co/4N2Y4njUOS

And pre-order ‘Uneasy Streets: How Chinese Money Is Remaking Urban Britain’ by @urbanmorph https://t.co/hUn6IiNoKW

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

Published today: I sat down with The Wire China for an interview - we discussed my new book, engagement with authoritarian states, the UK's 'golden era' with China, and the financialisation of liberal democracy.

https://t.co/Z3LWvpkbJZ

[Luke de Pulford @lukedepulford]

This is huge.

Sensitive data of UK nationals for sale in China. Depressingly predictable.

1. Summon the Chinese ambassador.
2. @alexsobel proposed an amendment to prevent data transfer to China, which was resisted by Govt. Can we have this now?

https://t.co/aXK5FUPmEI

[Hurst Publishers @HurstPublishers]

To know more than Keir Starmer about Mandelson’s murky ties with China, pick up your copy of ‘All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain’ by @METhorley, the book Charles Parton OBE references in the Sky News interview below.

25% off w/code GLISTENS25
➡️ https://t.co/ErqFmOMZip

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

Many thanks to Charles Parton OBE for the mention on Sky News this morning - discussing the Mandelson case and China.
The revolving door, political donations, All-party parliamentary groups - we don't know it yet but these are the frontline in a significant geopolitical battle.

[Luke de Pulford @lukedepulford]

🚨 Very important and rare contemporary testimony from a former Xinjiang police officer, who witnesses to continuing atrocities against the Uyghur.

His account of torture and persecution destroys the notion that things have “improved” in the region.👇
https://t.co/rJfwbYXYzV?

[The Wire China @thewirechina]

"In the UK at this time, the so-called ‘money men’ seem to have outmaneuvered those responsible for issues closer to security and sovereignty."

Read our Q&A with @METhorley on the UK-China "golden era:" https://t.co/ZhbTj4Y6rH

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

Published today: I sat down with The Wire China for an interview - we discussed my new book, engagement with authoritarian states, the UK's 'golden era' with China, and the financialisation of liberal democracy.

https://t.co/Z3LWvpkbJZ

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

5/5 The article explains the background of geocriminality, how it differs from existing state use of criminal elements, and introduces specific forms – episodic geocriminality and systemic geocriminality. It includes examples from Russia, China, Iran and beyond.

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

1/5 I��m delighted to present an open access academic article introducing ‘Geocriminality’, published in @GI_TOC journal JIED with London School of Economics @LSEPress
The way states instrumentalize criminal elements has evolved.
https://t.co/scAc7PuLWP

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

4/5 The article has received positive academic feedback from those working in the field and the concept itself has been welcomed privately and publicly by partners working in security, intelligence and law enforcement.

[Luke de Pulford @lukedepulford]

With all the news, the ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING details of the #HKETO foreign interference trial are going unnoticed.

Here's a 🧵 of some of the jaw-dropping details from the prosecution:

1. Defendants pour water under the door of the victim, then force entry (📽️ below) https://t.co/u0CsXSMO98

2. Defendants allegedly surveil victims' flat with an endoscopic camera. https://t.co/XJyMYYStnR

3. Defendant repeatedly knocked on the victim's door while claiming to be building maintenance in order to gain entry. https://t.co/u0CsXSMO98

4. Defendants deliver package to the victim at their address while filming the encounter. https://t.co/u0CsXSMO98

5. Defendant uses access to the Home Office ‘Atlas’ immigration database in order to obtain personal information. https://t.co/u0CsXSMO98

6. Defendant attends anti-china protests using a fake police ID card. https://t.co/Jt3GUZesxr

7. Defendant sent a list of names back to handler in Hong Kong naming several UK lawmakers and HK pro-democracy supporters. Including @MPIainDS https://t.co/f8h9ExoeMG

8. Defendant allegedly paid £4,500 per month to record and track local pro-democracy campaigners. https://t.co/f8h9ExoeMG

9. Defendant and former Hong Kong Police officer discussed deploying local Chinese triads (14K) to “teach Mr. Cheng a lesson”. In a separate incident, pro-democracy protestors were beaten up in London’s Chinatown by the members from the same triad group. https://t.co/ZgT9azh5dm

Please note that this work was allegedly commissioned and paid for by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office - Hong Kong's de facto 'embassy' in the UK. Let this serve as a rebuke to those who claim that a mega-embassy (with attendant increase in PRC diplomats) will have no impact on interference.

[Andreas Fulda 🇺🇦 🇹🇼 @AMFChina]

“When China Attacks: A Scenario.”

My new book (in German) will be published by @CHBeckLiteratur on March 20, 2026.

It is a hybrid of geopolitical analysis, counterfactual history and wake-up call.

➡️ Pre-order the German edition here: https://t.co/FQ5u4RWP3g /1

[Safeguard Defenders (保护卫士) @SafeguardDefend]

Transnational Repression: Italy orders expulsion of eight Chinese nationals on national security grounds following years of relentless surveillance, harassment and threats against prominent Chinese dissident and influencer @whyyoutouzhele

Read more 👇
https://t.co/kLGDKNyldv

[Hurst Publishers @HurstPublishers]

Read a sample of @METhorley's new book 'All That Glistens: Chinese Party-State Influence in Britain' and order at 25% discount here ➡️https://t.co/UPcdBG92ig

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

1/14 Some initial details are now emerging around the arrest of an MP's partner today. A little analysis leads to some familiar networks but that isn't to allege wrongdoing among those mentioned
It's being reported that David Taylor (partner of Labour MP Joani Reid) was arrested

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

FYI my publisher has kindly just made the book available with 25% off here: https://t.co/ay5W9nV155

[Martin Thorley 马丁 @METhorley]

1/14 Some initial details are now emerging around the arrest of an MP's partner today. A little analysis leads to some familiar networks but that isn't to allege wrongdoing among those mentioned
It's being reported that David Taylor (partner of Labour MP Joani Reid) was arrested