China has accused the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service MI6 of recruiting Chinese state employees as spies, sparking a new chapter in the ongoing espionage saga between Beijing and Western countries.
In a post on its official WeChat channel, China’s Ministry of State Security revealed that MI6 operatives allegedly turned a Chinese man identified only as Mr. Wang and his wife, Ms. Zhou, against Beijing. Both individuals worked in “core confidential” departments within a Chinese state agency.
The ministry claimed that MI6 began cultivating Mr. Wang during his studies in the UK under a Sino-British exchange program in 2015. The operatives reportedly took special care of him, inviting him to dinners and tours to better understand his interests and weaknesses.
The BBC has reached out to UK authorities for a response to these allegations, which come just over a month after the UK charged two men with spying for China. The charged individuals are accused of providing information to a foreign state, while China has dismissed the accusations as “malicious slander.”
Earlier this month, a former Royal Marine charged with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service was found dead, further escalating tensions between China and Western nations.
China did not disclose how it uncovered the case involving Mr. Wang and Ms. Zhou, stating only that it followed a thorough investigation. The Ministry of State Security claimed that MI6 operatives exploited Mr. Wang’s desire for money, befriended him on campus, and eventually persuaded him to provide “paid consulting services.”
Allegedly, the operatives then convinced Mr. Wang to spy for the British government in exchange for better remuneration and security offers. Through Mr. Wang, they also recruited Ms. Zhou to spy for China.
The ministry stated that the case is still under investigation, leaving uncertainty about potential charges for the couple. The timing of China’s public announcement may be seen as retaliation, but experts caution that the opacity of China’s judicial system makes it challenging to verify the details of espionage cases.
China’s Ministry of State Security has been actively posting updates on its official WeChat channel since its launch in August, issuing warnings to citizens about potential espionage threats. The latest accusations against MI6 highlight the ongoing battle of intelligence gathering between China and Western nations.
