China and the UK and its Western allies have traded barbs, accusing each other of espionage.

China’s spy agency said a foreigner was found spying for UK’s MI6 intelligence service [Peter Cziborra/Reuters]

 

China has announced that it has uncovered a British spy whom it accused of passing on state secrets.

The Ministry of State Security stated on Monday that it had discovered that the head of a foreign consultancy was spying for the United Kingdom’s MI6 intelligence service. It is the latest in a series of recent accusations traded between Beijing and London.

The Chinese spy agency announced the detection of the espionage on its WeChat social media account. It stated that MI6 had used foreigner Huang Moumou to collect secrets and information.

The British British foreign intelligence service had established an “intelligence cooperative relationship” with Huang, who heads an overseas consulting agency, in 2015, it said.

According to the statement, Huang does not have Chinese citizenship. The state security body did not disclose the nationality or gender of the suspect.

“After careful investigation, the state security organs promptly discovered evidence of Huang’s involvement in espionage activities, and took criminal coercive measures against him,” the ministry noted.

According to Beijing, MI6 instructed Huang to enter China on several occasions and to use his public identity to collect China-related intelligence for British spying.

The British intelligence service also trained Huang and provided equipment for intelligence cross-linking, the statement continued.

Huang allegedly passed 17 pieces of intelligence, including confidential state secrets, to MI6 before he was identified.

The statement did not provide details of Huang’s identity or employer, or describe their current condition or whereabouts.

Tit-for-tat

China and the UK and its Western allies have traded barbs recently as they have accused one another of espionage.

London says that Chinese spies are targeting its officials in sensitive positions in politics, defence and business.

A researcher in the UK Parliament recently denied he was a Chinese spy, an accusation Beijing branded “entirely groundless” and “malicious slander”.

China has publicised several other alleged spying cases in recent months.

American citizen John Shing-wan Leung, 78, was sentenced to life in prison for espionage in May. China has also conducted raids and arrests at a number of large consulting, research and due diligence firms.

The Chinese government has also warned citizens of the dangers of espionage activities, encouraging them to instead join counterespionage work.

 

 

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES