China may have compromised the mobile phones of senior British officials for several years, affecting communications from Downing Street, according to an investigation by The Telegraph.

Hackers, allegedly backed by the Chinese state, are said to have targeted associates of former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak between 2021 and 2024. Although it is unclear whether the phones of the current Prime Ministers were compromised, sources from U.S. intelligence suggest that the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, is still active, raising concerns about the security of the current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

The cyber attack is said to have allowed hackers to access text messages and phone conversations, as well as metadata about the communications of British officials. The breaches were only discovered in 2024, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

In the context of this threat, Starmer is preparing to make a visit to China, the first by a British Prime Minister since 2018, which has sparked criticism from the opposition, accusing the Labour Party of being too lenient towards Beijing.