China’s spy company mentioned Monday the top of a overseas consultancy had been discovered to be spying for Britain’s MI6 intelligence service.
The Ministry of State Safety mentioned in a WeChat publish that Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service — also referred to as MI6 — used a overseas nationwide with the surname Huang to ascertain an “intelligence cooperation relationship”.
Huang, who headed a overseas consulting company, “entered China a number of instances below directions to make use of their public profile as a canopy to gather China-related intelligence for Britain and search different personnel whom MI6 might flip”, the MSS mentioned.
Huang allegedly handed 17 items of intelligence, together with confidential state secrets and techniques, to MI6 earlier than he was recognized, in keeping with the MSS.
The ministry additionally claimed he had obtained “skilled intelligence coaching” in Britain and had used “specialist spying gear” to ship communications.
The MSS mentioned an investigation had “promptly found felony proof that Huang was engaged in espionage actions, and took felony coercive measures in accordance with the regulation”.
The assertion didn’t present additional particulars of Huang’s identification or employer, or describe their present situation or whereabouts.
Britain’s embassy in Beijing directed an AFP request to remark to the Overseas Workplace in London, which didn’t instantly reply.
China’s overseas ministry declined to offer additional remark when requested concerning the case at a daily press briefing.
TRADING ALLEGATIONS
China and Britain have traded barbs in latest months over allegations of perceived espionage and its ensuing impression on nationwide safety.
Britain’s authorities has warned that Chinese language spies are more and more concentrating on officers, allegations that Beijing has denied.
A researcher on the British parliament was arrested final 12 months below the Official Secrets and techniques Act and subsequently denied spying for Beijing.
China, which has a broad definition of state secrets and techniques, has publicised a number of different alleged spying circumstances in latest months.
In Might, authorities sentenced 78-year-old American citizen John Shing-wan Leung to life in jail for espionage, although Beijing has not offered substantial particulars of his case.
And in October, the MSS printed the story of one other alleged spy, surnamed Hou, who was accused of sending a number of secret and categorised paperwork to the US.
China final 12 months additionally carried out raids on a string of big-name consulting, analysis and due diligence corporations.
Final Might, China mentioned it had raided the places of work of US consultancy agency Capvision so as to safeguard its “nationwide safety and growth pursuits”.
Beijing additionally questioned employees on the Shanghai department of one other American consultancy, Bain, in April.
And authorities detained employees and shuttered a Beijing workplace belonging to US-based due diligence agency Mintz Group in March.
The US authorities and its chambers of commerce warned that the raids injury investor confidence and the operations of overseas companies in China.
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