The Central Criminal Court in London, England, ruled on Thursday (18th) on the case of espionage involving the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London.
The first defendant, the administrative manager of the Economic and Trade Office, Yuan Songbiao, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for “assisting foreign intelligence agencies.” The second defendant, former UK border officer, Wei Zhiliang, was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison for the above charge and an additional charge of “misconduct in public office.”
The presiding judge described both defendants as “dangerous malicious actors” whose actions fell within the scope of foreign intelligence activities.
The judge pointed out that although both individuals held dual British and Hong Kong citizenship, their actions demonstrated loyalty to China and involvement in a deliberate operation targeting asylum seekers in the UK, severely compromising the overall security of the UK.
According to the UK’s National Security Law of 2023, the maximum penalty for “assisting foreign intelligence agencies” can be up to 14 years in prison.
Since being found guilty last month, the two defendants have been held in custody at the Belmarsh maximum-security prison in London, where Yuan Songbiao and Wei Zhiliang celebrated their 66th and 41st birthdays, respectively.
Earlier, they had applied to participate in the sentencing hearing via video link from prison but were denied by the judge. On Thursday, they were escorted by white prisoner transport vehicles to Court 1 of the Central Criminal Court to hear their sentences in person.
The personal name and contact information of Yuan Songbiao, originally listed as the administrative manager of the London Economic and Trade Office, have been removed from the Hong Kong government telephone directory ahead of the sentencing.
Previously, the then UK Minister for Security Affairs, Dan Jarvis, publicly stated that the UK Foreign Office had requested the immediate termination of employment relations with Yuan Songbiao at the London Economic and Trade Office.
The Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Civil Service Bureau have not yet made a positive response regarding whether Yuan has been dismissed or has voluntarily resigned.
The Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and one of the cross-border monitoring victims of the case, Mong Zhaoxi, responded to the sentencing, stating that “the two individuals deserve their sentences,” emphasizing the deterrent effect of the verdict.
He also expressed concerns that out of the 11 people arrested by the British police in the case, only 3 were ultimately prosecuted, and he hoped that the police would continue to investigate other detained individuals for their involvement in the case and hold them accountable if found guilty.
Regarding the disappearance of Yuan Songbiao’s name and contact information from the Hong Kong government telephone directory, Mong Zhaoxi emphasized, “It is an indisputable fact that the CCP regime has used the Economic and Trade Office to conduct cross-border suppression. Deleting the names of individuals involved from official records does not absolve the responsibility of the Economic and Trade Office for instigating the crimes. Its existence poses a threat to overseas dissidents, and we strongly urge the UK government to review the diplomatic privileges of the Economic and Trade Office.”
Mong Zhaoxi also called on the UK government to promptly implement measures such as establishing a dedicated department, setting up a reporting hotline, addressing technical complaints and reports of cross-border suppression, and increasing public awareness of cross-border suppression.