China’s high safety ministry accused Britain’s MI6 intelligence company on Monday of persuading a married couple working for unnamed central Chinese language authorities our bodies to grow to be spies for the British authorities, the newest in a volley of constant espionage accusations between the 2 international locations.
In a put up on its official WeChat account, China’s Ministry of State Safety mentioned MI6 British intelligence officers had lured a person with the surname Wang, who labored for a Chinese language authorities company with part-time consulting work that paid him a excessive wage throughout his go to to Britain as a part of an change program.
The Chinese language ministry mentioned MI6 skilled Mr. Wang to grow to be a spy and ordered him to return to China to assemble intelligence. It mentioned that his spouse, who has the surname Zhou, additionally agreed to spy for Britain. China mentioned the matter was beneath additional investigation, however it isn’t clear whether or not the couple are being detained by the Chinese language authorities.
That is the newest in a collection of back-and-forth espionage accusations between Beijing and London, a supply of escalating stress between the 2 international locations.
Final month, three males in Britain had been charged with gathering intelligence for Hong Kong, a former British colony now beneath Chinese language rule, to pursue pro-democracy activists dwelling in Britain.
China has condemned these newest accusations. It mentioned that Britain had leveled a collection of “groundless and slanderous” accusations of spying and cyberattacks towards Beijing.
In March, the British authorities accused China of cyberattacks that compromised the voting information of tens of thousands and thousands of individuals. It additionally charged two males, who had been arrested final 12 months, with spying for China. One of many males labored as a researcher in Parliament alongside outstanding lawmakers, on China coverage.
On this newest accusation of espionage, China mentioned MI6 began courting Mr. Wang in 2015 when he utilized to review in Britain as a part of an change program. It mentioned that MI6 took “particular care of him” and discovered that he had “a powerful need for cash.”
After overpaying him for consulting work, the British brokers revealed their true intention to Mr. Wang, the Ministry of State Safety mentioned. MI6 pressured Mr. Wang to lure his spouse, who labored in “a core and essential unit” of the Chinese language authorities, into the operation and promised to pay them twice as a lot, China mentioned.
For its half, Beijing has lodged its personal accusations of British spying. In January, China’s State Safety Ministry mentioned it had detained the pinnacle of an abroad consulting company for working as a spy for the British authorities to gather state secrets and techniques. The company mentioned that British intelligence had recruited and skilled the person, who’s from an unspecified “third nation” in the UK and different locations. This particular person offered the British authorities with 14 state secrets and techniques, the ministry mentioned.
These accusations are arduous to confirm as a result of there may be little element past the morsels of data offered by Chinese language safety businesses, and espionage instances should not open to the general public in China.
China’s state safety has grow to be more and more vocal about the specter of espionage by way of consultancy work. It has been imploring its residents by way of social media posts and on-line comics to be vigilant in regards to the hidden dangers.
The ministry launched a comic book this 12 months primarily based on what it known as an precise espionage investigation by a particular state safety official who went undercover to infiltrate a consulting firm whose proprietor was an “affiliate” of a overseas spy. This official discovered proof that this firm was illegally contacting consultants in delicate industries.
Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London, mentioned verifying the MI6 case, like China’s earlier accusation, was near unimaginable as a result of the Chinese language reveal solely a minimal quantity of element and British intelligence was unlikely to verify or deny the allegation.
He famous that stress between China and Britain was “larger than it has been for some time,” particularly after the current arrests. Mr. Tsang mentioned it was not clear whether or not this was retribution or simply extra of China’s current “paranoia” about overseas espionage.
On Monday, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman at China’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs, mentioned she had no extra details about the case. A Downing Avenue spokesman declined to touch upon China’s claims.
Stephen Citadel contributed reporting.
