China: the United Kingdom “concerned” after suspicions of espionage targeting a relative of Prince Andrew
The British government expressed its “concern” about Beijing’s actions on Monday, in response to suspicions of espionage targeting a Chinese businessman linked to Prince Andrew.
This man, Tengbo Yang, denied being a spy. But this scandal is an additional source of embarrassment for the royal family, and Andrew, brother of King Charles III, will not participate this year in the traditional family Christmas reunion at Sandringham.
While traveling in Norway, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was questioned about this affair, which has been making headlines in the media for four days.
“Of course we are concerned about the challenges posed by China,” replied the Labor leader, recalling having met Chinese President Xi Jinping in November on the sidelines of the G20 in Rio de Janeiro, a first in six years.
“Our approach is one of cooperation where we need to cooperate, for example on climate change, of questioning when we need to particularly on human rights, and of competition when it comes to trade,” added the head of government.
Before Parliament, Secretary of State for Security Dan Jarvis highlighted a more general “threat environment”. “It is important to recognize that this matter does not exist in a vacuum,” he said.
“A number of states, including China, Russia and Iran, are continually working to undermine the UK’s security; our response is one of the most robust and sophisticated in the world “, he assured.
On Thursday, the special appeals commission responsible for immigration matters validated the entry ban on the territory of Tengbo Yang, a 50-year-old businessman described as a “confidant” of Prince Andrew, suspecting him of being engaged in “secret and deceptive activities” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
– “Victim” –
The specialized court rejected this man’s appeal, finding that he was in a position to “create relationships between senior Chinese officials and British personalities that could be exploited for the purposes of political interference by the Chinese state”.
The person concerned, who was until then identified as “H6” in the media, obtained from the courts on Monday the lifting of his anonymity and denounced an “unfair” procedure.
“I have done nothing wrong or illegal and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are unfounded. The description that has been widely made of me as a ‘spy’ is completely false,” he said. he assured.
Tengbo Yang, who describes himself as an “independent entrepreneur”, claims to have “dedicated his professional life in the United Kingdom to building links between British and Chinese companies”, and to be “the victim” of a “change in political climate “.
The man had become close to Prince Andrew to the point of being invited to his birthday in 2020, and was authorized to act on the prince’s behalf to seek out potential Chinese investors.
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew’s title, assured Friday that he had “ceased all contact” with this individual “as soon as concerns were raised”, adding that “nothing sensitive was discussed” between them.
The third of four children of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Andrew, 64, has already fallen from grace due to his closeness to financier and sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison.
He was deprived of his military titles in early 2022 after accusations of sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl, Virginia Giuffre, a case which ended in a financial settlement.
Andrew has been withdrawing from the royal family for several years. Last year, however, he attended with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their two daughters Beatrice and Eugenie the Christmas celebrations in the royal residence of Sandringham (east of England).
This time, put under pressure by this new scandal, the prince will stay away, and will be absent like “Fergie” from the family festivities.
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