In a new development that further strains the already tense relationship between China and the United Kingdom, Beijing has accused two Chinese citizens of spying for Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, MI6. The accusations come amidst ongoing clashes between the two nations over Beijing’s crackdown on free speech and open elections in Hong Kong, a former British territory.
The Ministry of State Security, China’s main intelligence service, announced the alleged espionage case on social media on Monday. The accused couple, identified only by their surnames Wang and Zhou, were reportedly recruited by MI6 while Wang was studying in Britain in 2015. According to the ministry, the couple was provided with hotel rooms, trips around the country, and financial incentives.
The ministry claims that Wang and Zhou, who worked for the Chinese government in a “central state agency,” had access to government secrets, which they allegedly passed on to MI6. However, no specific details were provided regarding the nature of the information the couple may have shared. The case is currently under investigation, and the whereabouts of the accused couple remain undisclosed.
The relationship between China and the U.K. has been increasingly strained in recent years, particularly due to disagreements over Hong Kong. The former British territory was guaranteed its own economic and political freedoms for 50 years following its handover to Chinese rule in 1997. However, Beijing’s actions in the city, including the suppression of free speech and open elections, have drawn criticism from the U.K. and other nations.
This latest espionage accusation comes just a month after Britain announced that two men would face trial for allegedly collecting sensitive information for Hong Kong authorities. A third suspect in the case, 37-year-old Briton Matthew Trickett, was found dead in a park under unexplained circumstances.
As of now, Britain has not issued an official comment on the espionage accusations made by China. The development is likely to further test the already fragile relationship between the two countries, as tensions continue to mount over issues related to Hong Kong and other matters of international concern.
Credit: ABC News
