LONDON: An alleged Chinese spy who cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew said on Monday (Dec 16) he has done “nothing wrong or unlawful” as Britain’s government faced questions about what it is doing to thwart security threats from China.
British authorities allege businessman Yang Tengbo – known only as “H6” until a High Court judge lifted an anonymity order on Monday – was working on behalf of the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party that is used to influence foreign entities.
It is the most high-profile case in a series of espionage scandals in recent years that involved suspected or confirmed Chinese intelligence gathering in Britain’s establishment, including in parliament.
Here’s a look at Yang’s case:
WHO IS YANG TENGBO?
Yang, 50, also known as Chris Yang, is listed as a director of Hampton Group International, a business consultancy advising UK-based companies on their operations in China.
He was reportedly once invited to Andrew’s birthday party. He has also been photographed at events with senior UK politicians, including former prime ministers David Cameron.
Yang is reportedly a key member of Pitch@Palace China, an initiative by Prince Andrew to support entrepreneurs.
He worked as a junior civil servant in China before arriving in the UK in 2002 to study. He earned a master’s degree in public administration and public policy at the University of York before starting his business.
Yang was granted the right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period in 2013. He told authorities he had spent regular time in Britain and considered it his second home.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH PRINCE ANDREW?
Details about Yang’s case emerged last week at a special immigration tribunal, which upheld a decision by British authorities to ban Yang from entering the UK in 2023. He was removed from a flight from Beijing to London in February 2023 and was told that Britain intended to ban him from the country.
The Home Office said he was believed to have carried out “covert and deceptive activity” for the Chinese Communist Party.
Judges agreed with MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence, that Yang “represented a risk to the national security” and dismissed his appeal.
The tribunal heard that in 2021, authorities found documents that showed how close Yang was to Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother.
One letter from a senior adviser to Andrew told Yang he should “never underestimate the strength” of his relationship with the royal. “Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on,” the adviser wrote.
The tribunal said that when Yang was interviewed by immigration authorities, he failed to give a full account of his relationship with the prince, which it said had a “covert and clandestine” element.
Authorities have not made public what information Yang allegedly obtained or was seeking to obtain. But the tribunal cited a 2022 statement by the MI5 director that described the United Front Work Department’s aims as buying and exerting influence, amplifying pro-China voices and silencing those critical of the Chinese government’s authority.
Andrew has been repeatedly criticised for his links to wealthy foreigners and prompted critics to suggest that those individuals were trying to buy access to the royal family.
