On Monday, December 16th, a judge from the High Court of England unsealed an anonymous order, revealing the close relationship between Chinese spy Yang Tengbo and Prince Andrew, Duke of York. This marks the first time the UK has officially disclosed the name of this Chinese spy.
Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo has been prohibited from entering the UK since March 2023 due to national security reasons. The UK’s MI5 intelligence agency has accused Yang of working for an organization representing the Chinese Communist Party to gather intelligence.
Following the challenge to the UK Home Office ban by Yang Tengbo, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) rejected his appeal last week. Subsequently, this matter attracted media attention, digging into who this Chinese man, known as “H6” in official documents, with business ties to Prince Andrew, really is.
It is reported that Yang Tengbo has business connections with Prince Andrew and has used the prince’s network to reach other senior figures in the UK political and business spheres.
After the High Court unsealed the anonymous order, Yang Tengbo issued a statement through his lawyers on Monday, stating, “It is completely untrue that I am commonly referred to as a ‘spy’ by the public.”
The Financial Times reported that Yang Tengbo’s case has reignited debates on the extent to which the UK government should re-engage with Beijing.
As part of efforts to reset relations with Beijing, current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Brazil, marking the first meeting between UK and Chinese leaders in six years. It is expected that the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, will soon visit Beijing.
Furthermore, Yang Tengbo’s espionage activities in the UK have highlighted the boundaries between legitimate business consulting by Chinese individuals in the UK and the concerns of MI5 regarding Chinese interference activities in the UK which could be “covert, coercive or corruptive.”
At the age of 50, Yang Tengbo established a company in the UK named Hampton Group International Ltd in the UK. The company claims its focus is on “investment, consulting, and creating opportunities between China, the UK, and other countries worldwide.”
In its ruling, the SIAC panel stated that Yang Tengbo “has the capability to establish relationships with prominent figures in the UK and Chinese authorities, relationships that could be used by the Communist Party of China … or the Chinese government for political purposes.”
MI5 accuses Yang Tengbo of being a member of the Communist Party of China and working for the United Front Work Department responsible for intelligence collection.
The judge mentioned that while there was “not a wealth of evidence suggesting a link between Yang and the United Front Work Department,” some evidence indicated that his claim of having “no connection with Chinese political figures” was inconsistent.
Gordonstoun, the Scottish boarding school attended by Prince Andrew and Prince Charles, announced on Monday that they have terminated their agreement with Yang Tengbo’s company, Hampton Group International Ltd.
In 2019, Hampton Group International Ltd signed an agreement with Gordonstoun to assist the school in establishing a sister school in China. The school stated that, due to legal reasons, they are currently unable to provide more details.
In addition to the royal connections, Yang Tengbo has also met and been pictured with several British political figures.
Before the court revealed the name of the Chinese spy, several UK lawmakers and political figures had called for the identity of this mysterious Chinese businessman to be made public.
Conservative MP and prominent China hawk Sir Iain Duncan Smith urgently requested the disclosure of the name “H6” on Monday. He warned that Yang Tengbo is “not acting alone.”
Subsequently, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle approved the motion on Monday afternoon.
In other words, even if the court did not disclose it, the House of Commons would have made the man’s name public following Monday’s session.
Smith stated that the United Front Work Department of the CCP has approximately 40,000 agents globally responsible for establishing relationships with influential individuals in other countries.
“In fact, there are many people like him (referring to Yang Tengbo) in the UK. There are many more people doing the same work he has been doing, and his departure from the UK indicates that he knew he would eventually be caught,” Smith said.
“The reality is, more people are involved in such espionage activities now. It’s simple for us. Beijing is a very clear threat.”
UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis welcomed the court’s decision to maintain the ban on Yang Tengbo entering the UK, warning that “this case is not without foundation.”
He informed MPs that the UK faces threats from “multiple countries, including China (the CCP), Russia, and Iran, who continue to work to harm UK security” and stated that the government will provide the “most robust and rigorous” response.
Jarvis mentioned that the Home Office is “efforts to introduce a new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme—roughly similar to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act—which is set to begin in summer next year.”
In November 2021, UK security agencies discovered Yang Tengbo’s phone during a port inspection, revealing multiple documents showing close contact between him and Prince Andrew.
In a document called “Duke Talking Points” created in August 2021, Yang wrote that Prince Andrew was in a “dire state and was desperate.”
Court documents indicated that the relationship between “H6” and the prince could be exploited to serve the political interference goals of the United Front Work Department.
The UK Home Office believes that Yang Tengbo gained the prince’s trust during his vulnerable times, posing a potential national security risk. Particularly, Yang downplaying his relationship with the United Front Work Department has further heightened the UK government’s concerns due to this lack of transparency.
The CCP considers the United Front Work Department as one of its three “magic weapons.” It focuses on influencing overseas politicians and Chinese diaspora and infiltrating Chinese students in international universities.
In March 2022, the official Chinese media outlet, China Daily, interviewed Yang Tengbo, who was one of the overseas representatives invited to attend the NPC event.
Prince Andrew’s office released a statement last week, stating that the prince followed government advice and “terminated all contact with the individual” after concerns were raised.
The statement also mentioned that the prince had interacted with Yang through official channels and had not discussed any sensitive issues during their exchanges.
Anthony Glees, a security and intelligence expert at the University of Buckingham, stated that the court naming Yang Tengbo holds significant meaning.
“I can’t imagine an intelligence spy who could get as close to the heart of the UK’s constitutional power as Yang Tengbo did… It’s remarkable,” Glees said.
The professor noted that, according to Chinese law, all citizens are obligated to provide information to authorities if requested.
He suggested that now that Yang Tengbo’s name has been disclosed, UK authorities can proceed with further actions.
“This will allow anyone who has had contact with Yang Tengbo to identify themselves to the authorities and allow for an assessment on potential harm that could be caused,” he said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied the espionage accusations.
According to an interview with Yang Tengbo published by BBC Chinese website in 2006, he, as a graduate of public administration from the University of York, revealed that he graduated with a history degree from Yunnan University in 1995. After working for a state institution in China for seven years, he felt his knowledge was insufficient and decided to pursue a master’s degree in public management in the UK.