TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Beijing has accused two Chinese citizens of spying for Britain, in the latest test of an increasingly fraught relationship.
China and Britain have clashed over Beijing’s crackdown on freedom of expression and open elections in Hong Kong, a former British territory that was guaranteed its own economic and political freedoms for 50 years after its handover to the Chinese rule in 1997.
In a post on social media, the Ministry of State Security, China’s top intelligence agency, said on Monday it had uncovered a major espionage case involving a couple identified only by their surnames, Wang and Zhou, who were allegedly recruited by the British foreign intelligence service. MI6. It said Wang went to Britain as a student in 2015 and was later joined by his wife. It said Wang was given hotel rooms, travel around the country and financial incentives.
The couple said the couple worked for the Chinese government at a “central state agency” and handled government secrets, which they passed on to MI6. No information was given as to what specific information the couple may have provided. The ministry said the case was still under investigation and did not comment on the couple’s location.
There was no immediate comment from Britain.
Last month, Britain said two men would stand trial on suspicion of collecting sensitive information for Hong Kong authorities. A third suspect, 37-year-old Brit Matthew Trickett, was also charged in the case, but was found dead in a park under what police said were unexplained circumstances.
