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The alleged Chinese spy associated with Prince Andrew has been publicly identified as Tengbo Yang after a judge removed an anonymity order on Monday.
The 50-year-old Chinese national has been prohibited from entering the UK on national security grounds since March 2023. MI5 claims that Yang, who had advised UK companies like GSK and McLaren, was part of a group gathering intelligence on behalf of the Chinese government.
Yang had contested the ban issued by the Home Office, which was rejected last week by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. On Monday, Yang criticized the way he was treated.
“The widespread labeling of me as a ‘spy’ is completely untrue,” he stated. “The political climate has changed, and unfortunately, I have become a victim of this. When relationships are positive and Chinese investments are welcomed, I am accepted in the UK. When relations deteriorate, an anti-China stance is taken, and I am excluded.”
Yang had established business connections with Prince Andrew and other influential British political and business figures through his company, Hampton Group International, which focuses on opportunities between China, the UK, and the world.
The commission’s verdict revealed that Yang had the potential to create relationships with prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be used for political interference by the Chinese Communist party or the Chinese State.
MI5 had alleged that Yang was a member of the Chinese Communist party working for the United Front Work Department, which gathers intelligence.
Even though there wasn’t substantial evidence of UFWD connections, the judges noted a discrepancy between some evidence and Yang’s claim of having no political ties in China.
Prior to this, Yang had collaborated with GSK to handle a bribery scandal in China, according to sources familiar with the matter.
GSK chose not to comment.
Yang was introduced to the pharmaceutical group by Sir Ron Dennis, the former CEO of McLaren.
Sir Ron Dennis declined to comment.
McLaren did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Yang had meetings and was photographed with former Conservative prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May, although it is unclear when these encounters took place and there is no indication that either politician knew Yang personally.
The anonymity order was reconsidered during a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday, with MPs warning of using parliamentary privilege to disclose the individual’s identity in the House of Commons.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, granted an urgent question on Monday afternoon raised by Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a prominent Tory critic of China.
Prior known only as H6 in court documents, Yang had been identified on social media and some overseas news websites. On Monday, he instructed his legal team to reveal his identity due to the high level of speculation and inaccurate reports in the media and elsewhere.
