Useful information
Prime News delivers timely, accurate news and insights on global events, politics, business, and technology
Christine Lee, a lawyer accused of trying to interfere in British politics on behalf of the Chinese government, lost her legal challenge against the UK’s national intelligence agency, MI5, on Tuesday.
The court’s decision came a day after British authorities named Chinese national Yang Tengbo as an alleged spy who cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew and was photographed with two British prime ministers.
Here’s the latest.
Who is Yang Tengbo?
Yang, 50, also known as Chris Yang, is listed as a director of Hampton Group International, a business consultancy that advises UK-based companies on their operations in China. He has been photographed at events with senior UK politicians, including former prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.
Yang is reportedly a key member of Pitch@Palace China, an initiative by Prince Andrew to support entrepreneurs.
Yang worked as a civil servant in China before coming to the UK in 2002 to study. He earned a master’s degree in public administration and public policy at York University before starting his business.
In 2013 he was granted the right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period.
What happened to Prince Andrew?
Details about Yang’s case emerged last week at a tribunal, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which upheld a decision by British authorities to ban Yang from entering the UK in 2023. The Home Office said who was believed to have carried out “covert activities”. “deceptive and deceptive activity” for the Chinese Communist Party.
The judges agreed with MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence, that Yang “posed a risk to national security” and dismissed his appeal. The court heard that in 2021, authorities found documents showing how close Yang was to Prince Andrew, King Charles’ younger brother.
WATCH l Repressive regimes accused of targeting dissidents abroad: 
Activists from countries like Iran and China say their previous governments are trying to silence them in Canada. CBC Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault takes a closer look at the issue of foreign intimidation and speaks to people who are forced to remain in the shadows in the same place they came to be safe.
A letter from a senior advisor to Andrew told Yang: “Aside from (Andrew’s) closest internal confidants, you sit at the top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.”
Britain’s Home Office told Yang they had reason to believe he was “engaging, or had previously engaged, in covert and deceptive activities on behalf of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), which is an arm of the state.” of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). apparatus,” in a letter cited in the SIAC ruling.
The court said that when Yang was interviewed by immigration authorities, he did not give a full account of his relationship with the prince.
Authorities have not made public what information Yang allegedly obtained or sought to obtain. But the court cited a 2022 statement by the head of MI5 that described the United Front Work Department’s objectives as buying and influencing, amplifying pro-China voices and silencing those who criticize the authority of the Chinese government.
Who is Christine Lee?
Britain’s Security Service issued a security alert to all lawmakers in January 2022 warning that London-based lawyer Christine Lee was knowingly involved in “political interference activities in the United Kingdom” in coordination with the Department of United Front Work.
Lee’s firm, Christine Lee & Co., provided legal services primarily to the British Chinese community and had acted as legal advisor to the Chinese embassy in London. According to official records, he donated £500,000 ($906,000 Canadian) to Labor MP Barry Gardiner, mainly for office expenses. His son, Daniel Wilks, worked as Gardiner’s assistant for five years.
Lee was once recognized by the Prime Minister’s Office, during Theresa May’s tenure, for “promoting engagement, understanding and cooperation between the Chinese and British communities in the United Kingdom.”
On Tuesday, three judges at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal unanimously dismissed Lee’s claims, saying MI5 had issued the warning about political interference for “legitimate reasons”.
Beijing’s response
Yang strongly denied the spying allegations and said he was a victim of a changing political climate that had seen tensions rise between Britain and China.
“I have done nothing wrong or illegal,” he said in a statement. “The widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is totally false.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Tuesday called spy allegations against Yang “ridiculous”, while the Chinese embassy in Britain condemned UK lawmakers for “smearing” China.
Lee, who was not charged with any criminal offense, argued that the security alert against her was political and violated her human rights.
The response in the British Parliament
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is concerned about the challenge posed by China, but maintained his government’s strategy of engagement and cooperation with Beijing.
Starmer, who took office this summer, has sought to repair frayed ties and in November became the first British leader to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2018.
Opposition lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith, a prominent critic of Beijing, said that overlooks the clear threat posed by China.
“The reality is that there are many, many more involved in exactly this type of espionage that is taking place,” he said.
Another real headache
Andrew’s office said Friday that the royal met Yang “through official channels” and that nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed. The statement did not specify the date on which the prince “ceased all contact” with Yang.
Andrew was appointed Britain’s special representative for international trade and investment in 2001. But he was forced to resign in 2011 amid growing concerns about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison after plead guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
WATCH l The infamous interview that deepened the British royals’ concerns: 
Look back at Prince Andrew criticizing what many consider a disastrous interview with the BBC, in which he discussed his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew gave a disastrous interview to the BBC in 2019 to explain the nature of the relationship with Epstein. Andrew strenuously denied sexually abusing a teenage girl he met through Epstein, but in 2021 he settled a lawsuit she filed and donated a sum of money to the accuser’s charity.
Early the following year, Queen Elizabeth stripped him of his honorary military duties and he resigned from the leadership of several charities.
Britain’s most prominent anti-monarchy group has called for a parliamentary inquiry into alleged royal corruption.
“When a Chinese spy befriends a royal, they want access to the British state. We need to know if the royals have given them what they want,” said Republic leader Graham Smith.
