Prince Andrew says he has ‘ceased all contact’ with alleged Chinese spy
The Duke of York’s office has said it has “ceased all contact” with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after receiving advice from the government.
In a statement, his office said Prince Andrew had met the man “through official channels” and “nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed”.
Alleged spy has been banned in Britain A decision by Britain’s semi-secret national security court.
The man, known only as H6, was described as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew who had built up an “unusual level of trust” with the duke.
In 2023, H6 appealed against its initial ban but the court upheld the decision.
Judges were told the businessman was attempting to take advantage of Prince Andrew’s influence.
The Duke’s office said he was “unable to comment further on matters related to national security”.
His statement did not specify when he stopped contacting the man nor the duration of their communication.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment, saying they do not work for the prince, who is not a working royal.
China’s embassy in Britain has denied the spying claims, saying that “some people in Britain are always eager to fabricate baseless ‘spying’ stories targeting China.”
An embassy spokesman said, “Their aim is to defame China and disrupt normal exchanges between Chinese and British personnel.”
In March 2023, the man referred to as H6 brought his case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, a court established to consider appeals against decisions to ban or expel someone from the country on national security or related grounds Was.
In published decisionThe judge said that the former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, “was entitled to conclude that (H6) represents a risk to the national security of the United Kingdom” and that the Home Secretary “was entitled to conclude that his exclusion was justified and Was proportional” “.
The decision reveals that the man was subjected to the highest level of national security investigation because Britain’s intelligence agencies feared he was seeking to influence a member of the royal family.
The court was told H6 was invited to Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020 and told he could act on his behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.
It is unclear how H6 became close to the prince, but in November 2021 police officers stopped and interrogated him at the UK border under powers to investigate suspicion of “hostile activity” by a foreign state.
During that stop H6 handed over several electronic devices, including a mobile phone.
What the authorities found on them so alarmed the security service MI5 that Braverman used his extraordinary powers to ban H6 from the country.
In a letter found on one of his devices, H6 was told by Prince Andrew’s adviser Dominic Hampshire: “Outside of (the Prince’s) closest inner confidantes, you sit at the top of a tree that a lot of people would love to be on.” “
Mr Hampshire says: “Under your guidance, we have found a way to get the attention of the concerned people at Windsor, inside and outside the house.”
The excerpt from the letter included in the judgment did not provide any further details about who the “relevant people” were.
Mr Hampshire also confirmed to H6 that he could work for Prince Andrew in negotiations “with potential partners and investors in China”.
A document listing “key talking points” for the call with Prince Andrew was also found.
It says: “Important: Manage expectations. It’s really important not to have ‘too high’ expectations – he’s in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything.”
The court assessed that this meant H6 was “in a position to engender connections between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures, which could have been exploited by the Chinese state for political interference purposes”.
Security chiefs feared the pressure from Beijing was attempting to influence the Duke of York by carrying out an “elite capture” campaign, a strategy aimed at appointing high-profile individuals to Chinese businesses, think tanks or universities.
H6 was later informed that UK authorities believed he was linked to the United Front Work Department (UFWD), a branch of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tasked with conducting influence operations. Has been assigned.
The judgment said that MI5 Director General Ken McCallum had expressed concerns about the threat posed to Britain by China’s political interference and that bodies such as the UFWD “conducted a patient, well-funded, deceptive campaign to buy off and influence Were staying”.
The Home Office said they believed H6 was involved in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the CCP and that his relationship with Prince Andrew could be used for political interference.
Upholding Braverman’s decision, the judges said H6 had “earned an unusual level of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with them”.
He said the relationship had developed at a time when the prince was “under considerable pressure”, which “could have made him vulnerable to the abuse of such influence”.
The prince faced increasing scrutiny since late 2019 over his friendship with the late American financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including his infamous Newsnight interview in November that year.
