China has accused the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service MI6 of recruiting Chinese state employees as spies. According to a post on its official WeChat channel, China’s Ministry of State Security claimed that MI6 operatives persuaded a Chinese man identified only as Mr. Wang and his wife, surnamed Zhou, to work against Beijing.
Both individuals were employed in “core confidential” departments within a Chinese state agency.
The ministry alleged that MI6 began cultivating Mr. Wang when he went to the UK for his studies in 2015, as part of a Sino-British exchange program. Allegedly, MI6 operatives took “special care” of him during his time in the UK, including inviting him to dinners and tours to understand his interests and weaknesses better.
This accusation follows the UK’s recent charging of two individuals with spying for China, an act that Beijing has denounced as “malicious slander.” Additionally, earlier this month, a former Royal Marine charged with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service was found dead, according to police reports.
In the case of Mr. Wang, Chinese authorities claimed that MI6 operatives exploited his “strong desire for money,” befriended him on campus under the guise of alumni, and convinced him to provide “paid consulting services.”
Subsequently, the operatives allegedly asked him to work for the British government in exchange for better pay and security offers. Through Mr. Wang, MI6 operatives also recruited Ms. Zhou to spy for China, the Ministry of State Security added.
“Wang was initially hesitant but could not resist [the operatives’] repeated persuasion, enticement and even coercion, and eventually agreed,” the ministry said in a statement on WeChat.
“Under Wang’s strong instigation, Zhou agreed to collect intelligence… and he and his wife became British spies.”
The Ministry of State Security in China has stated that the case is still under investigation. Since its launch in August, the ministry has been posting frequent updates on its official channel.
In January, it issued a warning to citizens about the risk of being lured by “exotic beauties” working for foreign spy agencies. Additionally, it has cautioned against photographing military equipment and advised against organizations recruiting aviation enthusiasts as volunteers to transmit China’s flight data to other countries.
These warnings are part of the ministry’s efforts to safeguard national security and prevent espionage activities.
