Revelations over the alleged Chinese spy with links to Prince Andrew raise questions about how far China’s secret agents have infiltrated UK society.
Yang Tengbo, 50, who was unmasked yesterday by the High Court, was pictured at events with ex-Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.
Mr Yang was also pictured alongside then Chancellor George Osborne at the first UK-China Business Leaders Summit in 2014, and reportedly visited Buckingham Palace twice as a guest of Prince Andrew.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith warned this case is only “the tip of the iceberg”. Sir Iain, who was sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 for criticising human rights abuses in Xinjiang, said: “There are many, many more involved in exactly this kind of espionage. The reality for us is very simple – China is a very clear threat.”
Mr Yang was expelled from the UK last year amid claims he was gathering information for the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party.
The businessman, also known as Chris Yang and who denies being a spy, is alleged to have used his links with Andrew to secure invites to high-profile events and royal residences.
Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: “I’m certain there are members of the United Front Work Department who are active in attempting to influence journalism, academics, politics and the whole lot.
“The story [is] not really about Prince Andrew. It’s about the way the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to exert influence here in the United Kingdom.”
The controversy raises questions for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has tried to bolster relations with China since he took office. Mr Starmer said yesterday he is concerned about the threat China poses but refused to be drawn into discussions about the case. He said: “Our approach is one of engagement, of co-operating where we need to co-operate, particularly on issues like climate change, to challenge where we must and where we should, particularly on issues like human rights, and to compete when it comes to trade.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that on a recent visit to Beijing he raised the issue of alleged Chinese espionage. He added: “This case does not exist in a vacuum. We recognise the threat. We have raised it with the Chinese government and we will act wherever we need to.”
Mr Lammy said he is content the system acted appropriately in response to allegations about Chinese spies. Mr Yang can be named because an anonymity order was lifted at a High Court hearing yesterday. It is understood he has not met Mr Starmer or any members of the current Cabinet. Pressure has been mounting on Prince Andrew over his links to the alleged spy.
The Sunday Times said Mr Yang visited Buckingham Palace twice after being invited by 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. Mr Yang is understood to have met Lord Cameron at a Downing Street reception and Baroness May at a black-tie event, and kept the photos in his London office.
It is feared Mr Yang, who set up lobbying firm Hampton Group International, used his access to high-profile British figures to advance China’s interests, which Beijing denies.
The Times reported his phone was found to contain a letter from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to Prince Andrew. It reportedly said: “I hope it is clear to you where you sit with [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 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, it is claimed.
Andrew was appointed as a trade envoy by Tony Blair in 2001, serving until 2011. The case of Mr Yang came to light when he brought an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission against his exclusion from the UK. This was thrown out, with judges saying Britain was entitled to conclude he represented a risk to national security.
Mr Yang said in a statement: “I have done nothing wrong and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded. The widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is entirely untrue. This is why I applied for a review of the Home Office decision, and why I am seeking permission to appeal the SIAC decision.”