AFP – Chinese intelligence said on Monday that the head of a foreign consulting firm was found to have been spying for British intelligence agency MI6.
The Ministry of National Security said in a WeChat post that Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (also known as MI6) used a foreign national surnamed Fan to establish an “intelligence partnership.”
Huang, who was the head of a foreign consulting firm, “used his public profile as a cover to collect China-related information for the United Kingdom… several times after MI6 was instructed to look for other reliable personnel.'' entered China,” MSS said.
According to the MSS, Hwang allegedly passed on 17 pieces of information, including state secrets, to MI6 before he was identified.
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The ministry also claimed he had received “specialized intelligence training” in the UK and used “specialized spy equipment” to send the communications.
The MSS said that as a result of the investigation, “criminal evidence of Mr. Huang's involvement in espionage activities was promptly discovered and criminal enforcement measures were taken in accordance with the law.”
The statement did not provide details about Huang's identity or employer, nor did it mention his current condition or whereabouts.
The British Embassy in Beijing directed AFP to the Foreign Office in London for comment, but there was no immediate response.
Asked about the matter at a regular press conference, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment further.
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– Suspicion of transactions –
China and Britain have been at loggerheads in recent months over spying allegations and their national security implications.
The British government has warned that Chinese spies are increasingly targeting officials, a claim Beijing denies.
The British parliamentary researcher was arrested under the Official Secrets Act last year and has since denied spying for the Chinese government.
China, which has a broad definition of state secrets, has disclosed several other cases of alleged espionage in recent months.
In May, authorities sentenced John Xingwan Leung, a 78-year-old American citizen, to life in prison for espionage, but the Chinese government has not released substantive details of his case.
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And in October, the MSS published the story of another suspected spy named Hou, who was accused of sending several classified documents to the United States.
China also carried out raids on a series of major consulting, research and due diligence firms last year.
Last May, China announced that it had raided the offices of US consulting firm CapVision to protect its “national security and development interests.”
In April, the Chinese government also questioned officials at the Shanghai branch of another American consultancy, Bain.
And in March, authorities detained employees and closed the Beijing office of U.S.-based due diligence firm Mintz Group.
The U.S. government and the Chamber of Commerce have warned that the raids will undermine investor confidence and foreign companies' operations in China.
