Foreign Office interpreter accused of running Chinese propaganda site

by · Mail Online

A Foreign Office interpreter has been accused of running a Chinese propaganda website from Britain as part of a 'veiled global network' of Communist Party sites.

Chen Shirong acted as an interpreter for Chinese presidents coming to the UK on state visits as far back as 1999. 

Mr Shirong even sat two places away from President Xi Jinping at a lunch in Manchester in 2015, which former Prime Minister David Cameron was also present. 

The interpreter also worked for the BBC World Service as a journalist and commentator on Chinese affairs. 

However, a report due to be published next week by the UK-China Transparency charity accuses Mr Shirong of running a website that formed part of China's 'propaganda' network while he had access to the Foreign Office. He denies the claim.

It comes amid heightened concerns over Chinese Communist Party penetration into Britain's government and Royal Family following allegations that an alleged Chinese spy formed a close relationship with Prince Andrew. 

Mr Shirong is the sole owner of Foremost4Media, which Microsoft flagged after alleging it forms part of a 'veiled global network of Chinese Communist Party news websites' in 2023.

Microsoft's threat intelligence department included it in a report on 'digital threats from East Asia', The Telegraph reports.

Chen Shirong (left) sat two places away from President Xi Jinping (centre) at a lunch in Manchester in 2015, which former Prime Minister David Cameron was also present
Mr Shirong (pictured) has been accused of running a website that formed part of China's 'propaganda' network while he had access to the Foreign Office in Whitehall

Mr Chen's website, which is no longer online but is still advertised on the interpreter's LinkedIn profile, was named by Microsoft as as one part of 'a network of more than 50 predominately Chinese-language news websites that support the CCP's stated goal of being the authoritative voice of all Chinese language media worldwide'.

Microsoft said that the list of 50 websites raised concerns because they appeared to share the same IP addresses, HTML codes, web developer comments, application programming interfaces and 'content management system from a 'wholly-owned subsidiary' of China News Service'.

According to The Telegraph, the report said: 'We assess with high confidence that these websites are affiliated with the CCP's United Front Work Department (UFWD).'

The shadowy UFWD is used by the Chinese government to help increase the country's influence around the world and is sometimes described as the overseas arm of the CPP.

Although Mr Chen has not been accused of any criminality, Sam Dunning, of UK-China Transparency, told The Telegraph that the study 'highlights the UK's urgent need for better understanding of the CCP and vigilance about its operations in the UK'.

The charity also reportedly unearthed that Mr Chen was a 'consultant editor' in issues of China Report, a news outlet run by the UFWD and published by China News Service. 

Foremost4Media has been listed as the 'Marketing/Advertising/Subscription division of China Report, it is reported.

Chen Shirong acted as an interpreter for Chinese presidents coming to the UK on state visits as far back as 1999. Pictured: The Foreign Office building in Whitehall

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And in 2019, Mr Chen attended the Global Chinese Language Media Forum, an event organised by the China News Service. 

Mr Chen admitted to having previously liaised with the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, a former arm of the Chinese state that attempted to influence expatriates.

He denies having any contact with that office since it merged with the UFWD in 2018.

Mr Chen told The Telegraph: 'I have not had any direct contact with anyone there since the restructuring. I have never had anything to do with them after they were absorbed into the United Front.

'I have lived in this country for more than 34 years. I came here in 1990 to learn about multimedia in education, then I was recruited by the BBC World Service. I take the UK as my second home.'

He added: 'Whenever I do interpretation work for the Foreign Office, I work as a freelancer. I'm bound by the conduct of all translators. I started this work when I worked for the BBC. What I do as a language interpreter is separate from whatever else I do – I perform the duty of the interpreter.

'I'm not aware of any Microsoft flagging of my website. I would totally dispute that. My organisation was registered in the UK and I am self-employed. It has nothing to do with any outside organisations or other countries.'

MailOnline has also contacted Mr Chen and the Foreign Office for comment.

It comes after it was revealed on Thursday that a 'close confidant' of the Duke of York was an alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from entering the UK after an investigation by MI5.

In what appears to be an extraordinary breach of national security, the alleged agent, who can be named only as H6, was so close to Andrew that he visited Buckingham Palace twice, and entered St James's Palace and Windsor Castle.

He was even authorised to act on Andrew's behalf to seek investors in China.

MI5 discovered that the businessman, 50, was a member of the CPP and was working for the United Front Work Department.

When police stopped him at the UK border in 2021 it was discovered that he had a briefing document in which Andrew appeared to be described as being in a 'desperate situation and will grab onto anything'.

Last night, it also emerged that the alleged spy met former prime ministers Lord Cameron and Theresa May, even keeping photos of the encounters on his desk.

A source close to Lord Cameron said he met 'thousands of people at hundreds of functions', adding: 'We don't have any further information about this individual.'

A spokesman for Lady May said: 'She is photographed at numerous events in any given year; as such, she doesn't remember when or where this particular photograph was taken or the man in question.'