China tells UK to ‘stop making trouble’ over alleged spying

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China’s embassy in London has warned the UK to “stop making trouble” and criticized the “twisted mentality” of MPs over claims that a Chinese businessman linked to Prince Andrew is a Communist Party spy.

An embassy spokesperson also accused British lawmakers of “arrogance and impudence” over the allegations.

The spokesman added: “We urge the British side to immediately stop causing trouble, stop anti-China political manipulation, and stop undermining the normal exchange of people between China and the United States.”

Tuesday’s comments came after a judge allowed the 50-year-old Chinese national, who was banned from entering Britain on national security grounds, into the country. To be identified as Tengbo Yang.

Dan Jarvis, British Security Minister, welcomed the court’s decision Upholding the ban on Yang He warned that “this situation does not exist in a vacuum.”

He told MPs that Britain faces “continuous efforts by a number of countries, including ChinaRussia and Iran to harm the security of the United Kingdom.”

The anonymity order was reviewed during a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday, as MPs were threatening to use parliamentary privilege to name Yang in the House of Commons.

On Tuesday, a Chinese spokesman described the “anti-China statements made by a handful of British MPs” as an attempt to “smear China (and) target the Chinese community in the UK.”

“We strongly condemn this,” the spokesman added.

The tensions represent a potential setback for the Labor government’s attempt to improve relations with Beijing. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping last month, in the first meeting between the two countries’ leaders since 2018, and promised to build “consistent, lasting and respectful” relations.

Yang developed business links with Prince Andrew and gained access to a network of other senior British political and business figures. He has also been photographed with former Conservative Prime Ministers Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May.

MI5 alleged that Yang was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and working in the United Front Work Department. Which brings together intelligence. The case against him was based in part on data discovered from his phone, which was seized by British security services in November 2021.

A Chinese embassy spokesman said on Tuesday that the united front is “above everyone and beyond suspicion,” describing it as an attempt to strengthen cooperation between the Chinese Communist Party “and people who are not members of it and to enhance communication between people.” People-to-people exchanges and friendship with other countries.”

Yang had appealed the Home Office’s ban, an appeal that was rejected by the Immigration Appeals Panel last week, and on Monday criticized his treatment. He said: “The common description of me as a spy is absolutely not true.”

He added: “The political climate has changed and unfortunately I fell victim to that.” “When relations are good and Chinese investment is sought, I am welcome in the UK. When relations are strained, an anti-China stance is taken, and I am excluded.”

The committee’s ruling concluded that Yang “was in a position to form relationships with prominent British figures and senior Chinese officials, which could be exploited for the purposes of political interference by the Chinese Communist Party . . . or the Chinese state.”