Brit businessman who vanished in China six years in the past jailed for spying

A British businessman who labored in China for 4 a long time earlier than mysteriously vanishing six years in the past has been jailed for spying, Beijing has revealed for the primary time since his imprisonment.

Ian J Stones, who has labored with huge US companies together with General Motors to Pfizer, was jailed for 5 years after being convicted in 2022 for ‘acquiring intelligence for abroad actors’.

The enterprise government’s daughter, Laura Stones, mentioned that he has not confessed to the crime, however added that her father ‘has stoically accepted and respects that beneath Chinese legislation he should serve out the rest of his sentence.’

Neither she nor the British Embassy has been permitted to see authorized paperwork referring to the case, the Wall Street Journal experiences.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin revealed solely {that a} Beijing courtroom ‘sentenced in first occasion the British defendant… to 5 years in jail for the crime of illegally acquiring intelligence for abroad actors.’

He added that Stones had appealed his conviction, however that the case was upheld in September final yr.

Mr Stones is alleged to be a well-known member of China’s enterprise group and arrange his personal consulting agency after years of working for main companies.

Wang, referring to Stones by a Chinese title, mentioned the ‘courtroom tried the case strictly in accordance with the legislation’.

Beijing, he mentioned, ‘absolutely assured the varied respectable rights’ of the prisoner and had organized for UK officers to go to him and attend his trial.

‘China is a rustic ruled by the rule of legislation,’ Wang mentioned.

‘The judicial organs strictly promote the dealing with of instances in accordance with the legislation, safeguarding the rights and legit pursuits of each Chinese nationals and foreigners,’ he added.

China and Britain have traded barbs in latest months over allegations of perceived espionage and its ensuing influence on nationwide safety.

The Chinese overseas ministry – which works as its intelligence company – has issued a sequence of warnings to residents concerning the hazard of overseas spies.

China’s elite was lately warned towards falling prey to ‘unique beauties’ after claiming a honey-trapped vacationer was blackmailed by overseas spies whereas overseas.

The nation’s Ministry of State Security posted a warning on its WeChat social media account, saying {that a} Chinese man known as Li Si was blackmailed after going to a nightclub abroad.

Analysts say these warnings reveal the insecurity felt amongst leaders in China.

‘I don’t assume honey traps are any extra prevalent now than at different time limits. Part of espionage work has all the time exploited human weaknesses, be it greed, lust, delight, vainness, anger, disappointment or such,’ Ian Chong advised the BBC. 

The non-resident fellow with Carnegie China added: ‘To me, the Ministry of State Security’s media marketing campaign and the latest highlighting of dangers referring to honey traps are extra reflective of a way of insecurity and menace, significantly from the surface world, that the present Chinese management seems to understand.’

In Mr Li’s ‘honey entice’ case, he was invited to an grownup leisure venue by a neighborhood information who urged him to ‘select’ a number of ladies at some point of the night time. 

At one level, ‘burly foreigners in uniform’ got here into his room and took photos of him whereas bare. 

These photos had been used to blackmail Mr Li, who reportedly works for a state-owned agency, into becoming a member of their intelligence organisation, based on the publish.

Mr Li is alleged to have given the ‘spies’ entry to his work laptop out of worry. The gadget reportedly contained about ten years’ price of categorized info.

After returning to China, Mr Li was additional used as a ‘puppet’ for the overseas intelligence officers who coerced him into giving them extra categorized info, the ministry mentioned. 

It is unclear when and the place this incident involving Mr Li has taken place.

Earlier this month, China accused MI6 of recruiting a prime overseas consultancy agency boss who used specialist spying tools to gather state secrets and techniques and data for Britain.

China’s Ministry of State Security revealed on WeChat on January 8 {that a} foreigner, solely recognized by surname Huang, was in control of an abroad consulting company, and in 2015, MI6 established an ‘intelligence cooperative relationship’ with the particular person.

After that, M16 instructed Huang to enter China a number of occasions, and advised him to make use of his public id as a canopy to gather China-related intelligence for British spying and ‘search different personnel who they may flip’, the assertion mentioned.

Huang allegedly handed 17 items of intelligence, together with confidential state secrets and techniques, to MI6 earlier than he was recognized, based on the MSS.

MI6 additionally carried out skilled intelligence coaching for Huang in Britain and different locations, and supplied particular espionage tools for intelligence cross-linking, China’s authorities mentioned.

‘After cautious investigation, the state safety organs promptly found proof of Huang’s involvement in espionage actions, and took legal coercive measures towards him,’ the federal government mentioned.

The assertion didn’t present additional particulars of Huang’s id or employer, or describe their present situation or whereabouts. 

The consulting company was not disclosed by the Chinese authorities.