LONDON, November 18. /TASS/. Beijing has slammed allegations by the UK Security Service, MI5, that Chinese intelligence agents are trying to establish contact with British lawmakers as gross slander.

"These claims by the UK side are pure fabrication and malicious slander. We strongly condemn such despicable moves of the UK side and have lodged stern representations with them," the Chinese embassy to the UK said in a statement posted on its website.

"We urge the UK side to immediately stop this self-staged charade of false accusations and self-aggrandisement, and stop going further down the wrong path of undermining China-UK relations," the embassy emphasized.

The UK intelligence services have reportedly issued a so-called "espionage alert", claiming that Chinese intelligence personnel, disguised as "headhunters", have approached UK parliamentarians and figures from various sectors in order to "collect information". The Commons Speaker has also written to MPs about this.