The latest documents released by the US Department of Justice reveal that Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom once spent “quite a long time” with the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, sparking concerns. Previously, he had been warned in connection to a Chinese Communist espionage case.
The emails of Jeffrey Epstein, released by the US Department of Justice, show that the former Duke of York, Prince Andrew (now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after being stripped of his title), had extensive contacts with senior Chinese officials. Epstein was detained for his involvement in a large-scale sex trafficking case and died in prison in August 2019.
Last Friday (January 30), the US Department of Justice released over 3 million Epstein-related documents, including an email sent by Epstein in November 2015 to billionaire investor and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
According to The Telegraph, the email revealed that Prince Andrew maintained a close relationship with Xi Jinping, as Epstein informed Hoffman that “Prince Andrew is about to go to China, where he has spent a long time with Xi Jinping.”
Prince Andrew had official meetings with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in both April 2016 and May 2018. Photos released by Chinese state media showed the two shaking hands and exchanging greetings during the meetings. Reports state that Prince Andrew sends direct letters to Xi Jinping every year to celebrate his birthday.
Documents revealed last year indicate that his former senior aide Dominic Hampshire claimed Prince Andrew and Chairman Xi “always maintained communication channels.”
In 2021, Prince Andrew raised alarms for repeatedly meeting with suspected Chinese spy Yan Tengbo, who was banned from entering the UK in March 2023.
The Telegraph revealed in October last year that Yan Tengbo established a consultancy company called Hampton International Group in the UK, establishing a close relationship with Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew had at least three meetings with Yan Tengbo. The UK authorities had issued warnings to Prince Andrew as early as 2021.
In 2023, then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman banned Yan Tengbo from entering the UK. MI5 accused Yan Tengbo of being a member of the Chinese Communist Party, working for the United Front Work Department responsible for intelligence gathering. Yan was a key figure in the trial of two British spies suspected of working for Beijing.