On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of State Security issued a statement accusing the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) of recruiting two employees of China’s central state organs to act as spies for the British government.
According to the Ministry of State Security, the two spies are a married couple, and their case is currently under further investigation.
This rare move by Beijing is seen as a possible retaliation against the UK for repeatedly targeting Chinese infiltration and uncovering Chinese spies.
In recent months, both China and the UK have been accusing each other of engaging in espionage activities. In January of this year, China claimed to have uncovered a spy case, accusing MI6 of using a foreigner in China to gather classified information.
In April, the UK accused two men of spying for China, providing intelligence that could harm the UK to Beijing. In May, the UK charged three individuals, stating that they had assisted a foreign intelligence agency based in Hong Kong. One of the arrested individuals, Chung Biu Yuen (Bill Yuen), hails from the Hong Kong police force and was a senior official at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London.
On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security said in a statement that a man surnamed Wang, who had studied in the UK as part of an exchange program in 2015, was being used by MI6 during that period for secret dinners and trips.
China alleges that Wang, driven by a strong desire for money, was approached by MI6 personnel posing as alumni offering consulting opportunities with high monetary rewards.
Wang agreed to provide paid consulting services. Subsequently, the UK gradually involved him in public research projects that eventually delved into the core internals of China’s central state organs. Eventually, Wang was persuaded by MI6 operatives to serve the British government, with promises of greater financial rewards and security guarantees.
After undergoing espionage training, MI6 directed Wang to return to China to gather critical information related to the Chinese authorities. At the same time, Wang’s wife, surnamed Zhou, also worked in a key unit within the Chinese government and, influenced by her husband, agreed to gather intelligence for the British side.
This incident highlights the escalating counterintelligence actions between China and European countries as tensions between China and Western nations continue to rise.
Recent cases of Chinese espionage activities have been uncovered in Europe. Countries are increasingly expressing their concerns about Chinese espionage activities more strongly.
In April of this year, German authorities arrested three German citizens suspected of engaging in espionage activities for the Chinese Ministry of State Security and leaking military technology information. They also arrested an assistant to a far-right European Parliament member in Germany.
Last year, a British parliamentary researcher was accused of conducting intelligence activities for China, infiltrating lawmakers with a “hawkish” stance on China and access to sensitive information, leading to the researcher’s arrest. It is believed that UK’s then-Secretary of State for Security, Tom Tugendhat, was also among the individuals contacted by this researcher.