The British newspaper “The Guardian” recently revealed that Professor Yu Xiong, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur at the University of Surrey, is alleged to have connections with the united front system of the Chinese Communist Party and has established a network in the British Parliament. Not only has he appeared multiple times at events in the Parliament, but he has also met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
According to the report, since 2022, Yu Xiong has participated in more than ten events in Parliament related to digital technology and has had interactions with non-partisan members like Baroness Uddin and Lord Taylor of Warwick. He also serves as an advisor to the cross-party parliamentary group on “Metaverse and Web 3.0” and has spoken in Parliament on several occasions.
Yu Xiong’s background has raised questions about his ties to the Chinese Communist Party. He served as the President of the UK branch of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) until 2023, an organization claimed to be overseen by the united front department of the CCP. It is known that the united front department is a tool used by the CCP for “united front work,” which Xi Jinping, the CCP leader, has personally referred to as the “magic weapon of the party,” with a focus on united front work and suppressing so-called “Taiwan independence.”
Ken McCallum, the head of the UK intelligence agency MI5, had already warned in 2022 that the CCP’s united front department was engaging in “deceptive penetrative influence” in the UK.
In response to the allegations, Yu Xiong stated that he had not attended WRSA meetings since 2019 and had resigned as President in 2023. Regarding his interactions with MPs, Yu Xiong explained that as a scholar, he has an obligation to establish connections with the political and business community to promote cooperation.
Baroness Uddin stated that she was unaware of any relationship between Yu Xiong and the WRSA, denying any “improper conduct” in their interactions.
The report from “The Guardian” also revealed that between 2023 and 2024, Yu Xiong had met with Chinese officials at least three times to discuss plans for the construction of the Chinese Embassy in Hamleys in London. Yu Xiong admitted to receiving relevant proposals but emphasized that they were given to him voluntarily, did not pass them on to the CCP, did not act as an intermediary, and did not receive any compensation, stating that he simply agreed to review them out of courtesy.
Furthermore, he has previously expressed support for Beijing’s stance on Taiwan in Chinese state media. However, his lawyer responded that Yu Xiong supports a “peaceful resolution” and respects the self-determination of the Taiwanese people.
Regarding his presence in the VIP section at the 2019 Tiananmen Square anniversary celebrations, Yu Xiong stated that he was “invited to attend.”
This controversy is still evolving, and we will continue to monitor for more details.