UK Bans Alleged Chinese Spy Who Developed “Unusual Trust” with Prince Andrew

An individual identified as an alleged Chinese spy, who cultivated an “unusual degree of trust” with the Duke of York, has been prohibited from entering the UK. This decision followed a ruling by the UK’s semi-secret national security court. The man, known only as H6 and characterized as a “close confidant” to Prince Andrew, appealed his initial ban, but the court upheld the original determination. Judges were informed that the businessman sought to exploit Prince Andrew’s influence. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the matter, stating that it does not represent the prince, who is no longer a working royal. In March 2023, H6 presented his case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), a tribunal established to review challenges against decisions to exclude or deport individuals from the country on grounds of national security or related concerns. In the published judgment, the judge concluded that the then-home secretary, Suella Braverman, was “entitled to conclude that [H6] represented a risk to the national security of the United Kingdom, and that she was entitled to conclude that his exclusion was justified and proportionate”. The ruling explicitly states that the man had undergone the most rigorous national security investigation, as UK intelligence agencies suspected he was attempting to gain influence over a member of the Royal Family. The court heard that H6 received an invitation to Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020 and was authorized to act on the prince’s behalf in discussions with prospective investors in China. The exact circumstances of H6’s close relationship with the Prince remain unclear, but in November 2021, police officers intercepted and questioned him at the UK border. This action was taken under powers designed to investigate suspicions of “hostile activity” by a foreign state. During this stop, H6 surrendered several electronic devices, including a mobile phone. The information discovered on these devices caused such significant concern to the security service MI5 that Braverman exercised her exceptional powers to ban H6 from the nation. A letter discovered on one of his devices, from Dominic Hampshire, an adviser to Prince Andrew, informed H6: “Outside of [the prince’s] closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.” Mr. Hampshire further stated: “Under your guidance, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor.” The excerpt from the letter included in the ruling provides no additional details regarding the identity of the “relevant people.” Mr. Hampshire also verified to H6 that he was permitted to represent Prince Andrew in discussions “with potential partners and investors in China.” A document outlining “main talking points” for a phone call with Prince Andrew was also recovered. It contained the instruction: “IMPORTANT: Manage expectations. Really important to not set ‘too high’ expectations – he is in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything.” The court determined that this implied H6 was positioned “to generate relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese State.” Security officials expressed concerns that Beijing was attempting an “elite capture” operation to influence the Duke of York, capitalizing on the pressure he was experiencing. This tactic involves appointing high-profile individuals to positions within Chinese businesses, think tanks, or universities. H6 was subsequently informed that UK authorities believed him to be connected with the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) responsible for conducting influence operations. The ruling noted that MI5’s Director General, Ken McCallum, had voiced apprehension about the threat China’s political interference posed to the UK, and that entities like the UFWD were “mounting patient, well-funded, deceptive campaigns to buy and exert influence.” The Home Office stated its belief that H6 had engaged in covert and deceptive activities on behalf of the CCP, and that his association with Prince Andrew could be exploited for political interference. In affirming Braverman’s decision, the judges commented that H6 had gained an “unusual degree of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him.” They further added that this relationship developed during a period when the prince was “under considerable pressure,” which “could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence.” The prince had faced increasing scrutiny since late 2019 concerning his association with the late US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which included his widely reported Newsnight interview in November of that year. In a public statement, the Chinese embassy in the UK denounced “baseless ‘spy’ stories targeting China.” It asserted: “Their purpose is to smear China and disrupt normal exchanges between Chinese and British personnel.” The embassy added that China supports “normal people-to-people and cultural exchanges with other countries.” The embassy also urged the UK to “stop creating trouble” and to “stop spreading the so-called ‘China threat’ theory.” Prince Andrew had previously served as the UK’s trade envoy but resigned from the role in 2011 after 10 years, following criticism regarding his associations, including with Epstein. He has previously been persistently questioned about his judgment and financial affairs – an issue that dates back to the loss of his status as a working royal. In November 2019, Prince Andrew withdrew from royal duties amidst growing public outrage over his friendship with Epstein. Subsequently, questions arose about his finances after he reached a settlement – reportedly in the millions – in a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. The prince has consistently denied assaulting Ms. Giuffre. His financial situation has recently come under examination. King Charles is no longer providing him with funding, and there has been speculation regarding the operational costs of Royal Lodge, with the security bill alone estimated to be several million pounds annually. The broader financial situation of Prince Andrew remains largely unknown, including potential inheritances from his mother or private funds he might have accumulated during his tenure as an envoy. Former security minister Tom Tugendhat characterized Prince Andrew’s connection with the Chinese businessman as “extremely embarrassing,” but informed the BBC that the Chinese state’s objective is “to secure influence over foreign countries at various different points,” including the UK. He stated that the UFWD was seeking to exert influence in the UK across social, academic, industrial, and financial sectors, and that China has “engaged very often in espionage.” He further noted that in this particular instance, the aim could have been to gain influence and “inspire somebody to say something, do something or perhaps just host an event where you can be close to somebody you want to pressure.” Additional reporting was provided by Jacqueline Howard & Christy Cooney. To receive the latest royal stories and analysis directly in your inbox each week, sign up for our Royal Watch newsletter here. Individuals outside the UK can subscribe here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. 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