An alleged Chinese spy who penetrated the upper echelons of British society has said he ‘would never do anything to harm the interests of the UK’ after his identity was revealed.
Yang Tengbo, 50, is the businessman previously known only as H6 who became a ‘close confidant’ of Prince Andrew.
In a statement, he said he has ‘done nothing wrong or unlawful’, adding that the ‘widespread description of me as a “spy” is entirely untrue’.
In 2023, Yang – also known as Chris Yang – was banned from the UK by then-home secretary Suella Braverman after MI5 became concerned about information found on his phone.
According to the Sunday Times, the figures he met include David Cameron at a Downing Street reception and Theresa May at a black-tie event over the last 15 years.
He was also invited to Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020.
Officials told the home secretary in a briefing that Yang was able to generate relationships between top figures in UK and China ‘that could be leveraged for political interference purposes’.
Yang’s lawyer Guy Vassall-Adams KC told the High Court: ‘There has been an enormous amount of media reporting in relation to this story, and particularly in relation to the relationship between my client, H6, and Prince Andrew, as well as a huge amount of speculation about the identity of my client.’
In a letter found by investigators, an advisor to the Duke of York told him: ‘You sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.’
It added: ‘I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family.
‘You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship.’
Due to the high level of speculation and misreporting in the media and elsewhere, I have asked my legal team to disclose my identity. I have done nothing wrong or unlawful and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded. The widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is entirely untrue.
This is why I applied for a review of the Home Office decision in the first place, and why I am seeking permission to appeal the SIAC decision. It is also why an order extending my anonymity up to the point of determination of the appeal process was granted.
I have been excluded from seeing most of the evidence that was used against me under a process which is widely acknowledged by SIAC practitioners as inherently unfair: decisions are made based on secret evidence and closed proceedings, which has been described as ‘taking blind shots at a hidden target’.
On their own fact finding, even the three judges in this case concluded that there was ‘not an abundance of evidence’ against me, their decision was ‘finely balanced’, and there could be an ‘innocent explanation’ for my activities. This has not been reported in the media.
The political climate has changed, and unfortunately, I have fallen victim to this. When relations are good, and Chinese investment is sought, I am welcome in the UK. When relations sour, an anti-China stance is taken, and I am excluded.
I am an independent self-made entrepreneur and I have always aimed to foster partnerships and build bridges between East and West. I have dedicated my professional life in the UK to building links between British and Chinese businesses. My activities have played a part in bringing hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into the UK.
I built my private life in the UK over two decades and love the country as my second home. I would never do anything to harm the interests of the UK.
A statement released by the Duke’s office on Friday said: ‘The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.
‘The duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.
‘He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.’
Several British politicians, including Reform leader Nigel Farage and Labour MP Graham Stringer, had called for his anonymity to be lifted.
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