China’s spy agency yesterday said it detained the head of a foreign consultancy for spying for the British Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security said in a WeChat post that MI6 had since 2015 been cooperating with a foreign national with the surname Huang (黃) to establish an “intelligence cooperation relationship.”
Huang, who headed a foreign consulting agency, “entered China several times under instructions to use their public profile as a cover to collect China-related intelligence for Britain ... and seek other personnel whom MI6 could turn,” it said.
Photo: AP
Huang, who is a citizen of a third nation, allegedly passed 17 pieces of intelligence, including confidential state secrets, to MI6 before he was identified, it said.
The ministry also claimed he had received “professional intelligence training” in the UK, and had used “specialist spying equipment” to send communications.
An investigation had “promptly discovered criminal evidence that Huang was engaged in espionage activities, and took criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law,” it said.
The statement did not provide further details of Huang’s identity or employer, or describe their current condition or whereabouts.
The British government has yet to comment on the allegations, but they follow a deterioration of relations between the sides sparked in part by British opposition to Chinese investments in the UK, especially in the power and communications industries where the Chinese Communist Party exercises strong influence.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to provide further comment when asked about the case at a regular news briefing.
China and the UK have traded barbs in the past few months over allegations of perceived espionage and its resulting effect on national security.
London has warned that Chinese spies are increasingly targeting officials, allegations that Beijing has denied.
A researcher at the British parliament was arrested last year under the Official Secrets Act and subsequently denied spying for Beijing.
China, which has a broad definition of state secrets, has publicized several other alleged spying cases in the past few months.
In May last year, authorities sentenced 78-year-old American John Shing-wan Leung (梁成運) to life in prison for espionage, although Beijing has not provided substantial details of his case.
In October last year, the Chinese Ministry of State Security published the story of another alleged spy, surnamed Hou (侯), who was accused of sending several secret and classified documents to the US.
China last year also raided a string of big-name consulting, research and due diligence firms.
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