China slams UK 'smears' after ban on 'spy' linked to Prince Andrew

China hit out at 'smears' today after an alleged spy linked to Prince Andrew was banned from the UK.

Beijing's embassy lashed out at a 'twisted mentality' and demanded that Britain 'stop creating trouble' as the diplomatic spat escalated. 

The suspected agent, who also mixed with top politicians, was named yesterday as Yang Tengbo.

The 50-year-old, previously known as H6, is said to have become a 'close' confidant of the Duke of York and has also been pictured with senior Tories such as Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May.

In a statement, an spokesman for the London embassy said: 'We always believe that a sound and stable China-UK relationship is not a one-sided favour but what meets the common interests of both sides.

'The UK side must have a right perception of China, see the historical trend clearly, and handle its relations with China on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.

'We urge the UK side to immediately stop creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulations, and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK.'

Lawyers for Mr Tengbo - who is also known as Chris Yang - told the High Court that the businessman was not seeking to maintain his anonymity.

Guy Vassall-Adams KC said: '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.'

Lifting his anonymity, Judge Mr Justice Chamberlain said: 'It seems to me that these proceedings now serve no further purpose.'

Mr Tengbo denies being a spy or doing anything illegal. He challenged his ban on entering the UK at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in July, but lost his appeal last week.

The Chinese national had been due to be named after an anonymity order made in May 2023 was lifted by judges at the specialist tribunal.

However, the day before the judgment was due to be published, he made a successful bid at the High Court for a temporary block on being named, which has now been lifted.

In a statement issued on his behalf, Mr Tengbo said he had done 'nothing wrong or unlawful' and descriptions of him as an alleged spy were 'entirely untrue'.

The statement said he had voluntarily waived his right to anonymity.

Mr Tengbo said: '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.

Mr Yang was first excluded from Britain by then-home secretary Suella Braverman in 2023, when the Home Office said he was believed to have carried out 'covert and deceptive activity' for the Chinese Communist Party.

The businessman suggested he was a victim of increasingly hawkish views on China under the Conservative administration at the time.

'The political climate has changed and unfortunately, I have fallen victim to this,' Mr Yang said.

'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,' he said.

Judges at a specialist tribunal in London last week ruled Mrs Braverman had been 'entitled to conclude' that he 'represented a risk to the national security' after he launched an appeal against the decision.

The businessman had brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after his initial exclusion in 2023 but his appeal was dismissed.

In his statement, Mr Yang hit out at the process which led to his ban from entering the UK.

'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',' Mr Yang said.

'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.'

Downing Street rejected Mr Yang's criticism of the process he had faced, insisting Sir Keir Starmer had confidence in SIAC and the independence of the courts.

Relations between the UK and China have improved since Sir Keir took office and in November he became the first prime minister to meet Xi Jinping since 2018.

But the Prime Minister acknowledged he was 'concerned about the challenge that China poses'.

He defended his strategy for dealing with China: 'Our approach is one of engagement, of co-operating where we need to co-operate, particularly on issues like climate change, to challenge where we must and where we should, particularly on issues like human rights, and to compete when it comes to trade.

'That's the strategic approach that we have set out as a UK Government.'