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China’s embassy in London warned the UK to “stop creating trouble” as it attacked the “twisted mentality” of MPs over allegations that a Chinese businessman linked to Prince Andrew is a Communist Party spy.
An embassy spokesperson also accused UK lawmakers of “arrogance and shamelessness” over the claims.
The spokesperson added: “We urge the British side to immediately stop creating trouble, stop political manipulations against China, and stop undermining the normal exchange of personnel between China and the United States.”
Tuesday’s comments came after a judge allowed the 50-year-old Chinese national, who has been expelled from Britain on national security grounds, to be identified as Tengbo Yang.
Dan Jarvis, the UK security minister, welcomed the court’s decision to uphold Yang’s ban and warned that “this case does not exist in a vacuum.”
He told MPs that Britain faces “continued efforts by a number of states, including China, Russia and Iran, to harm the security of the UK”.
The anonymity order was reviewed during a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday, when MPs threatened to use parliamentary privilege to name Yang in the House of Commons.
On Tuesday, the Chinese spokesperson called “anti-China cries made by a handful of UK MPs” an attempt “to smear China (and) target the Chinese community in the UK.”
“We strongly condemn this,” the spokesperson added.
The tensions mark a potential setback for the Labor government’s attempt to improve ties with Beijing. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping last month, in the first meeting between the countries’ leaders since 2018, and pledged to build “consistent, lasting and respectful” relations.
Yang had developed business ties with Prince Andrew and access to a network of other senior British political and business figures. He was also photographed with former Conservative prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May.
MI5 had alleged he was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and worked for the United Front Work Department, which collects intelligence.
The case against him was based in part on data extracted from his phone, which was seized by the UK security services in November 2021.
On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy spokesman said the United Front was “above the table and beyond reproach,” and characterized it as an attempt to promote cooperation between the Chinese Communist Party “and people who are not members of it and promote exchange between peoples.” exchanges of people and friendship with other countries.”
Yang had challenged the Interior Ministry’s ban, an appeal that was rejected last week by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, and on Monday criticized his treatment. “The generalized description of me as a ‘spy’ is totally false,” he said.
“The political climate has changed and unfortunately I have been a victim of this,” he added. “When relations are good and Chinese investment is sought, I am welcome in the UK. When relations deteriorate, an anti-China stance is adopted and I am excluded.”
The commission’s ruling found that Yang “had been in a position to generate relationships with prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be exploited for the purposes of political interference by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). . . or the Chinese State.”
