Last year, Britain’s Home Office claimed that Yang’s relationship with Prince Andrew “could be leveraged for political interference.” And on Tuesday, December 16, the Home Office ruled that Yang, 50, is engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” identified on behalf of Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) United Front Work Department (UFWD).
Along with the Communist Party itself, the UFWD’s role is to build relationships with and influence entities outside the CCP, both nationally and overseas.
Yang has denied accusations of spying leveled against him, saying in a statement that he had “done nothing wrong or unlawful and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded.”
However, Prince Andrew will not be joining his brother King Charles III and other members of the royal family for Christmas this year. Instead, the Duke of York, 64, will “honourably withdraw” from the royal family’s Christmas celebrations at their estate in Sandringham, England to avoid being a distraction, according to the BBC.
On Tuesday, a second alleged Chinese spy, Christine Lee, was identified by MI5 as donating up to £500,000 to former Labour MP Barry Gardiner, who was chairman of the now-disbanded Chinese In Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Ms Lee brought legal action against MI5, but three judges at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal unanimously dismissed her claims.
