In what comes as a shocking revelation, an alleged Chinese spy who got access to Buckingham Palace as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, also allegedly met former British Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron. However, Cameron and May have already distanced themselves from any knowledge of espionage links. The row, which involves a businessman, known as ‘H6’ due to legal reasons, has again hogged the limelight after a tribunal judge pointed out that he had an “unusual” degree of trust from the senior royal.
The revelation surfaced after it emerged that H6 was prohibited from entering the UK due to national security risks.
Here’s what the Chinese embassy in UK said
Denying the espionage allegations, the Chinese Embassy in the UK said, “Some individuals in the UK are always eager to fabricate baseless ‘spy’ stories targeting China”. A spokesperson from the embassy added, “Their purpose is to smear China and disrupt normal exchanges between Chinese and British personnel.”
In July, a Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) went on to hear that the man was invited to Prince Andrew’s birthday party in 2020 and was told by a royal aide that he could act on the Duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.
In a statement, Prince Andrew’s office said the Duke had met the man “through official channels”, adding that nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed.
A close source from former PM David Cameroon has said that there’s no information about the Individual, adding, “David Cameron was the leader of the Conservative Party for over a decade and PM for six years.He met thousands of people during that time at hundreds of functions and events.”
On the other hand, a spokesperson for Theresa May said “as such, she doesn’t remember when or where this particular photograph was taken or the man in question.”
UK needs to stay ‘vigilant’: Gillian Keegan, former Cabinet minister
Gillian Keegan, former Tory Cabinet minister, said that the UK needs to stay ‘vigilant’, and she added that it is “surprising that people are surprised” by China’s activities since security advice has been passed over to people visiting China for 30 years.
(With inputs from agency)
