MI6 Accused of Espionage by Beijing
The Chinese regime accused MI6 of recruiting a couple who held key roles at China’s ‘central state organ’ after five were charged in the UK with spying for China.
According to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), MI6 allegedly turned two Chinese government officials, who are married to each other, into British agents. This accusation follows the recent charging of three men in the UK for spying for Hong Kong.
It is the second spying allegation made by MSS against the British intelligence agency this year. In a statement published on Chinese social media platform WeChat, MSS claimed that a couple named Mr. Wang and Ms. Zhou, who worked at a Chinese state agency, were recruited by MI6 to gather sensitive information.
The ministry alleged that MI6 began grooming Mr. Wang in 2015 when he was studying in the UK as part of an official exchange program, eventually convincing him to gather information related to China. MSS also claimed that MI6 persuaded Mr. Wang to involve his wife in espionage activities.
The investigation is ongoing, and MSS did not disclose the full names of the couple or details about the information they allegedly gathered. A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that it is the UK’s policy not to comment on the activities of intelligence agencies.
Espionage Charges
MSS’s accusation is the latest development in the series of espionage allegations between the UK and China. Recently, three men were charged under the National Security Act with spying for Hong Kong. One of the defendants, Matthew Trickett, was found dead, resulting in the case against him being dropped.
The other two defendants, Chi Leung Wai and Chung Biu Yuen, have not entered pleas yet. Separate trials are scheduled, and further proceedings will take place in the upcoming months.
In addition, two other men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were charged in April with spying for China under the Official Secrets Act 1911. Their trials are also expected to occur in the future.
Furthermore, MSS claimed that an individual named Huang from a third country provided classified information to Britain. The UK intelligence community has been increasingly warning about Chinese espionage activities and influence campaigns.
According to a report by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, the UK remains a top target for Chinese espionage and interference efforts. The report highlighted the challenge of detecting Chinese intelligence operations due to the CCP’s ‘whole-of-state’ approach.
PA Media contributed to this report.
