Second ‘Chinese agent’ loses legal battle as Beijing accuses UK of ‘smears’

Conservative grandee Sir Iain Duncan Smith stated the Authorities now had inquiries to reply about whether or not Christine Lee ought to stay within the UK after she misplaced her authorized problem in opposition to the intelligence companies.

Sir Iain, a China sceptic senior Tory, informed the PA information company: “My query can be extra to the Authorities. What are the intelligence companies going to do now?

“Both they assume that she stays a risk, through which case she shouldn’t be right here, or if she isn’t, then they need to be clear about that.”

A second alleged Chinese language spy has misplaced her authorized battle with MI5 after she was accused of political interference within the UK on behalf of Beijing.

The intelligence company stated lawyer Christine Lee had “facilitated monetary donations to serving and aspiring parliamentarians on behalf of overseas nationals primarily based in Hong Kong and China”.

Ms Lee, who donated as much as £500,000 to Labour MP Barry Gardiner, rejected the accusation and claimed she was used as a “political soccer” to distract from the Partygate scandal.

However in a judgment on Tuesday, three judges on the Investigatory Powers Tribunal unanimously dismissed her claims and stated MI5 had issued the warning in opposition to her for “respectable causes”.

China has accused the UK of “creating hassle” over the Prince Andrew spy row, saying Britain ought to “cease anti-China political manipulations”.

A spokesperson for the nation’s embassy within the UK additionally claimed that “anti-China clamours made by a handful of UK MPs” have “revealed their twisted mentality in direction of China” and accused them of attempting to “smear China” and “undermine regular personnel exchanges” between the 2 international locations.

Final week Prince Andrew’s connections to the alleged spy grew to become the newest scandal to engulf the Duke of York, after the person was barred from the UK as a result of he was judged more likely to pose a risk to nationwide safety.

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China has warned the UK to not “make hassle” after an alleged Chinese language spy with shut ties to Prince Andrew was barred from the UK.

The Chinese language Embassy stated the UK ought to “cease anti-China political manipulations and cease undermining regular personnel exchanges between China and the UK” following the choice.

Yang Tengbo, 50, was banned from the UK in 2023 after it was deemed he would doubtless pose a risk to nationwide safety.

He was discovered with letters addressed to Beijing’s United Entrance Work Division – a shadowy arm of the Chinese language Communist Celebration (CCP) tasked with gaining affect over overseas officers – after he was detained in 2021. 

The Particular Immigration Appeals Fee heard that Mr Yang was capable of grow to be a detailed confidant of Prince Andrew and acted on his behalf with traders in China.

Prime UK boarding college Gordonstoun – the place King Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Phillip had been educated – signed a take care of the alleged Chinese language spy’s agency to open campuses in China.

Gordonstoun entered a partnership with the Hampton Group, a consultancy agency run by Yang Tengbo, to speak in confidence to 5 colleges in China and Hong Kong.

An announcement issued by the college in 2019 stated: “In an vital second in Gordonstoun’s historical past, the primary Gordonstoun college in China which is anticipated to open in 2022 has been introduced. The placement of the primary college shall be introduced quickly and shall be chosen to allow entry to inexperienced areas and the ocean each key options of a Gordonstoun schooling.

“That is a part of a long-term multi-school settlement with Hampton Group, a specialist in fostering nearer bonds between the UK and China.”

It added: “Within the Hampton Group, we really feel that now we have discovered the fitting companion to assist us introduce the distinctive Gordonstoun method to China. Their dedication to character improvement in schooling shone by way of from the primary assembly and now we have been inspired by all now we have seen and heard from them within the intervening months.”

The Chinese language college was initially earmarked to open in 2022, however the mission was stalled as a result of pandemic.

The Hampton Group, a British firm based by Yang Tengbo, offers consulting and occasions companies to British and Chinese language corporations. Tengbo isn’t concerned within the day-to-day operations of the UK enterprise, the corporate stated.