Yang Tengbo: Chinese ‘spy’ linked to Prince Andrew unmasked by High Court choose
An alleged Chinese spy with links to Prince Andrew has been named by the High Court.
Yang Tengbo, 50, met former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May and reportedly visited Buckingham Palace twice as a guest of the Duke. Pressure is mounting on the royal, with King Charles said to be considering banning him from attending Christmas events.
Mr Tengbo, who founded lobbying firm Hampton Group International, was expelled from the UK last year amid claims he was gathering information for the United Front Work Department (UFWD) – an arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The businessman, also known as Chris Yang, is alleged to have used his links with Prince Andrew to secure invites to high-profile events and royal residences. In a statement he denied being a spy.
On Monday Keir Starmer said he was “concerned” about the threat China poses, but refused to be drawn into discussions with Buckingham Palace. According to The Sunday Times Mr Tengbo visited Buckingham Palace twice after being invited by Prince Andrew, as well as attending events at St James’s Palace and Windsor Palace. He was described in court as having built up “an unusual degree of trust” with the royal.
He is claimed to have met Lord Cameron at a Downing Street reception and Mrs May at a black tie event, and kept photos of each in his London office. Mr Tengbo is also reported to have travelled on a delegation to China in 2010 alongside former deputy PM John Prescott, who died last month.
Mr Tengbo said he has “done nothing wrong or unlawful”, adding in a statement that the “widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is entirely untrue”.
Speaking in Norway, Keir Starmer refused to criticise the Duke, or reveal whether he had discussed the matter with Buckingham Palace. But he did tell reporters he is “concerned” about the challenge China poses. The PM added: “I’m not going to comment on Buckingham Palace or the royal side because as I said by convention, the government never does.”
It is feared that the alleged spy used his access to high-profile British figures to advance China’s interests – which Beijing denies. The Times reported that Mr Tengbo’s phone was found to contain a letter from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to Prince Andrew.
It reportedly said: “I hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal (the Duke) and indeed his family. You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship… outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.”
The alleged spy was also authorised to act on the Duke’s behalf with potential investors for an international financial initiative called the Eurasia Fund, it is claimed. The Duke was appointed as a trade envoy by Tony Blair in 2001, and served in that role until 2011.
The matter came to light when Mr Tengbo brought an appeal against his exclusion to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac). This was thrown out, with judges saying former Home Secretary Suella Braverman was entitled to conclude that he represented a risk to national security.
On Monday morning former security minister Tom Tugendhat said the allegations are the “tip of the iceberg”. He told BBC Breakfast: “I’m sure it’s happening now. I’m absolutely certain that there are members of the United Front Work Department who are active right now in attempting to influence journalism, academics, politics, and the whole lot. This is really the tip of the iceberg.
“And so the story I can understand why it’s been about Prince Andrew, but it’s not really about Prince Andrew. It’s about the way the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to exert influence here in the United Kingdom.”
Pressure is mounting on Prince Andrew over his links to the alleged spy, with fresh questions about his judgement. Royals are claimed to be furious after he became embroiled in the fresh scandal, with the King reportedly considering banning him from appearing in public over Christmas.
It is claimed that the Duke of York could be barred from the royal family ’s Christmas Day walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene church in Norfolk. Insiders have called on him to “do the decent thing” and voluntarily withdraw from public view, according to The Times.
Tory shadow farming minister Robbie Moore said on Monday morning: “It’s not really for me to get involved in advising the royal family on what they should be advising Prince Andrew to do…But I think Prince Andrew would be wise, I suspect, just to sit back for a while.”
