Prince Andrew's claim not to have discussed anything sensitive with 'spy' is ridiculous - here's why

Prince Andrew’s statement claiming never to have discussed anything of a “sensitive nature” with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo is as ridiculous as it is arrogant, according to the Mirror's Defence and Security Editor, Chris Hughes

China is trying to wrap up every strata of British society in a clandestine network of spies penetrating industry, politics, commerce, technology, security and defence.

If you counted everyone who has worked directly, or indirectly, for Chinese intelligence in the UK, it would likely run into tens of thousands. British intelligence has for years warned UK companies their research and development is extremely vulnerable to China’s spy agencies.

Prince Andrew’s statement claiming never to have discussed anything of a “sensitive nature” with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo is as ridiculous as it is arrogant. He could not know how much intelligence and access to important people a spy could glean from him, nor the true nature of their relationship.

Just a subtle mention by a Chinese spy that they knew Prince Andrew could open doors. He is not interesting but the networks he has access to are very interesting to spies.

If Yang is a spy, the naive Prince, who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2018, likely became a passive agent who was inestimably valuable to Chinese intelligence – without realising it.

A passive agent can be used to allow an actual agent to creep into a person’s contact network and then provide a gateway for other spies. And with technology of massive interest to China, that route could eventually lead to a technology contact worth millions.

China has stolen technological research and development from the UK before – at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds. The passive agent can also be persuaded to see another government’s point of view and perhaps change their behaviour and that of others towards a foreign government.

For instance, a Chinese agent might persuade a passive agent that Beijing’s genocidal treatment of minority Uyghurs is justified. It is feared some people coming to the UK from China may have been asked by a spy agency to make friends or find out information.

Head of MI5 Ken McCallum has warned at least 20,000 people had been approached by Chinese intelligence online in recent years. But for a senior royal not to be on his guard and to think he has done nothing wrong by hanging out with them is unfathomable.