Christine Lee, the lawyer accused of trying to interfere in British politics on behalf of the Chinese government, on Tuesday lost her legal challenge against Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5.
The court’s decision came a day after British authorities named Chinese citizen Yang Tingbo as an alleged spy who had 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 International Group, 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 said to be a key member of Pitch@Palace China, an initiative launched by Prince Andrew to support entrepreneurs.
Yang 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 from York University before starting his job.
He was granted the right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period in 2013.
What happened with Prince Andrew?
Details of Yang’s case emerged last week in a court, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which upheld the British authorities’ decision to ban Yang from entering the UK in 2023. The Home Office said he was believed to have carried out “covert operations and deceptive activities” for the Chinese Communist Party.
The judges agreed with MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence service, that Yang “presents a risk to national security” and rejected his appeal. The court heard that in 2021, authorities found documents that showed how close Yang was to Prince Andrew, King Charles’ younger brother.
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One letter sent by one of Andrew’s senior advisers told Yang, “Outside of (Andrew’s) inner circle, you are sitting at the top of a tree that a lot of people would like to be in.”
The UK Home Office told Yang they had reason to believe he was “engaged, or has previously engaged, in covert and misleading activity on behalf of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), the state arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).” device,” in a letter quoted in the SIAC ruling.
The court said that when Yang was questioned by immigration authorities, he failed to provide a full description of his relationship with the prince.
Authorities have not made public what information Yang allegedly obtained or was seeking. But the court cited a 2022 statement by an MI5 director who described the goals of the United Front Action Department as buying and exerting influence, amplifying pro-China voices and silencing those critical of the Chinese government’s authority.
Who is Christine Lee?
The British 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 United Front Action Department.
Lee’s firm, Christine Lee & Co, provided legal services primarily to the British Chinese community and acted as legal advisor to the Chinese Embassy in London. According to official records, she donated £500,000 ($906,000 CAD) to Labor MP Barry Gardiner, mostly to cover office costs. Her son, Daniel Wilkes, worked as Gardiner’s assistant for five years.
Li once received recognition from the Prime Minister’s Office, during Theresa May’s presidency, for “promoting engagement, understanding and cooperation between the Chinese and British communities in the United Kingdom.”
On Tuesday, three judges at the Investigatory Powers Court unanimously rejected Lee’s claims, saying MI5 had issued the warning about political interference for “legitimate reasons”.
Response from Beijing
Yang strongly denied the spying allegations and said he was a victim of the changing political climate that has seen tensions rise between Britain and China.
“I did nothing wrong or illegal,” he said in a statement. “The common description of me as a spy is completely untrue.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Tuesday called the spying allegations against Yang “ridiculous,” while the Chinese embassy in Britain condemned British lawmakers for “smearing” China.
Lee, who has not been charged with a criminal offence, said the security warning against her was political and violated her human rights.
Response in the British Parliament
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was concerned about the challenge posed by China, but was sticking to his government’s strategy of engagement and cooperation with Beijing.
Starmer, who took office this summer, has sought to mend tense relations, and in November he became the first British leader to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2018.
Opposition MP Iain Duncan Smith, a prominent critic of Beijing, said this ignores the clear threat posed by China.
“The reality is that there are many, many people involved in exactly the kind of espionage that is going on,” he said.
Another royal headache
Andrew’s office said on Friday that the prince met Yang “through official channels” and nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed. The statement did not specify the date on which the prince “cut off all contact” with Yang.
Andrew was appointed Britain’s special representative for international trade and investment in 2001. But he was forced to step down in 2011 amid growing concerns about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to luring a minor for exploitation. prostitution.
Look back to when Prince Andrew criticized what many saw as a disastrous interview with the BBC, in which he spoke about 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 Epstein affair. Andrew has strongly denied that he sexually assaulted a teenager he met through Epstein, but in 2021 he settled her lawsuit and donated a sum of money to the plaintiff’s charity.
Early the following year, Queen Elizabeth stripped him of his honorary military roles, and he gave up his leadership of various charities.
Britain’s most prominent anti-monarchy group has called for a parliamentary inquiry into allegations of royal corruption.
Graham Smith, leader of the Republic, said: “When a Chinese spy befriends a member of the royal family, they want access to the British state. We must know whether the royals have given them what they want.”
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