The alleged Chinese spy exposed as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew boasted of having visited Downing Street and meeting David Cameron and Theresa May.
At the desk in his plush office in central London, the man, who has been banned from entering Britain on national security grounds, proudly displayed photographs of himself with the two Conservative prime ministers.
In an interview with Chinese state television, the 50-year-old businessman, whose identity is being kept secret by a draconian court order, even boasted of being invited to No. 10 to celebrate Chinese New Year.
This newspaper has also unearthed an extraordinary photograph of the alleged secret agent with Prince Andrew at an event at St James’s Palace.
The man, who is said in court papers to have formed an “unusual degree of trust” with Andrew, also attended events at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Last night’s revelations fueled calls for a full investigation into how the alleged agent, known only as H6, infiltrated the Royal Family and gained access to top British politicians.
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “I’m shocked.” What were our security services doing?
‘This man not only had access to the duke, but also penetrated the heart of the British government, meeting prime ministers. He would have been sending information he collected to his masters in Beijing. When will they take China’s threat seriously?
The latest scandal involving Andrew broke on Thursday when a ruling by a special immigration commission revealed that H6 had been banned from entering the UK after MI5 deemed him an agent who had engaged in “covert and deceptive activities.” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. .
At the desk in his plush office in central London, the man proudly displayed photographs of himself with the two Conservative prime ministers.
In an interview with Chinese state television, the businessman even boasted about being invited to No. 10 to celebrate Chinese New Year.
H6 was so close to Andrew that he had been told he could act for the duke when dealing with potential clients in China, according to court documents.
Now this newspaper can reveal:
- A company run by H6 helped pay for former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott’s visit to China;
- He bought a £1 million suburban property which appears to have acted as an intelligence centre;
- Neighbors said he and his Chinese colleagues were driven away in a darkened chauffeur-driven car;
- MI5 is reportedly investigating money given by Chinese donors to Prince Andrew.
The alleged spy is a former public official in China accused of working for the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese state used to gather intelligence, recruit agents and buy influence abroad.
At the age of 31, he founded a company in London that initially provided travel services, but later became a business consultancy.
Several years ago he was interviewed in his Mayfair office as part of a glowing profile by a state-controlled Chinese broadcaster.
He said that when Lord Cameron was Prime Minister, he was invited to an event celebrating Chinese New Year at 10 Downing Street. A photograph on his desk, revealed for the first time, top left, shows him speaking to Lord Cameron in what appears to be No. 10.
A second image shows him in a tuxedo and bow tie with Theresa May and her husband Sir Philip. It is not clear when the shot was fired or whether Baroness May was prime minister at the time.
This newspaper can reveal that his company has already paid some of the expenses incurred by former Labor deputy prime minister Lord Prescott, who died in November aged 86, during a trip to China.
This newspaper has also unearthed an extraordinary photograph of the alleged secret agent with Prince Andrew at an event at St James’s Palace
The man is believed to have met Andrew in 2012, but it was not until 2022, after he was questioned by security services, that he was “dropped” by the duke, it is claimed.
In the previous decade, the man, who came to the UK to study in 2002, repeatedly visited royal palaces at the duke’s invitation. She also attended the Duke’s 60th birthday party in 2020 at Royal Lodge within Windsor Great Park.
The image on the left shows the man watching as the Duke chats with the then Chinese ambassador at a business event at St James’s Palace.
Andrew was also a guest of honor at a major business conference in London hosted by H6, where a message from President Xi was read.
China expert Clive Hamilton, whose book Hidden Hand warned of the dangers posed by Chinese spy networks, said: ‘Britain’s ruling elites, from prime ministers and princes down, have been deeply compromised by links to agents of Chinese influence. MI5 has much more work to do.
A source close to Lord Cameron said he had met “thousands of people at hundreds of functions”, adding: “We have no further information about this individual.”
A spokesperson for Lady May said: ‘She is photographed at numerous events in any given year; as such, he has no recollection of when or where this particular photograph or the man in question was taken.
Number 10 declined comment.
The Daily Telegraph claimed yesterday that the security services are examining the money received by Andrew. Last week he said he “ceased all contact” with the alleged spy after concerns were raised and that “nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed.”
Additional reporting: Daisy Graham-Brown